Operation Condor was an attempt to weaken the Viet Minh artillery's assaults against the besieged French Union garrison of Dien Bien Phu.

[1] Jedburgh veteran Captain Jean Sassi led the GCMA Malo - Servan commando unit consisting of Mèo partisans through the jungle, they dropped then walked all day to join Dien Bien Phu.

[1] Sassi's objective was "to allow a kind of breakthrough with the help of the French Union troops based at Éliane hill in order to surround the coolies supplying the Viet Minh combatants" and "to suddenly attack these weak enemies with the benefit of surprise".

[1][2] Like their fellow North Vietnam Commandos, GCMA French paratroopers were dressed with the Viet Minh regular black outfit "Cu Nao" to confuse the enemy and lightly equipped with submachine guns and rifles which are suitable weapons to perform hit-and-run ambushes against out of guard logistical convoys.

[3] After the war, the military jury charged General Cogny—who ordered the Dien Bien Phu garrison to surrender from his base in Hanoi—for the operation's failure as the "emergency column" GCMA was parachuted too late.