# Operation Cahaya

Operation Cahaya was an military operation launched by Indonesia to capture many Fretilin top leaders and attack Fretilin's primary base on Mount Matebian. This operation is also known as the last, biggest Indonesian offensive attack in East Timor, after Operation Seroja and Battle of Dili. The operation resulted in the ambush and assassination of Nicolau Lobato, the surrender of Fretilin leaders, and the primary base on Mount Matebian were captured by Indonesian forces

## Background

In 1975 the Indonesians launched an Large scale offensive on East Timor, the offensive were success and most of the East Timor territory was captured by Indonesian forces.After the invasions Indonesia was already Occupied East Tmor, but the Fretilin guerilla movement still active also in same time ABRI reduced their forces in East Timor and with this actions making Fretilin feeling had an good capacity than Indonesia. But with the internals problems and the bloody massacre on the party making Fretilin suffered an epidemic situations.
With support of the United States by sending 13 North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco aircraft, Indonesia was able to launch a military offensive on Mount Ossoala and Mount Mundo Perdido, the Indonesia obstructed many Fretilin guerrilla activities and bombed their bases.On 6 April 1978 when Mohammad Jusuf was promoted to the General of Army he launched an military operations codenamed "Operation Cahaya" targeting Fretilin top commanders to surrendered, disrupted Fretilin communications, and defeated the Fretilin primary base on Matebian.

## Operations

On 1978 to balanced the power Kostrad sending the 13 Battalions to the East sides under command of RTP 18 Kostrad, the mobilization of Kostrad troops to started an sieges on Matebian with the blockade on Matebian, the operations involved Kostrad battalions, Infantry Battalions, Marine corps, Air forces. The ex-Kostrad officer told the Tactics on the sieges on Matebian:
   Every units has their own routes and attacked in other flanks. Before attacked they are coordinating to avoid the friendly fire. We planned to attack in the same time with using L formation, we doing all of this to avoid an death of our companion
The attack was a final of Indonesian offensives on East Timor of the Destruction and blockade operations. Fretilin prepared Matebian as the retreated zone with the food supplies. When the campaign started the Fretilin led the civilians to the Mount Matebian, with the strong defences to secure the zones. And this zone was falling to Indonesian hands in 22 November by pushing the Fretilin positions in the last of the free zone by bombarded their forces with rockets and mortars.

### Bombing on Matebian

The key of the Indonesian success in this operations was the Bombing of Matebian, the Air force using OV-10 Bronco, F-5, and A-4 Skyhawk, the bombing started in September or October 1978 and taking place in middle of November. Many of the civilians' statement that the bombing was bombed many of their targets including the civilians and occurred the massacres of civilians, Tomas Soares Da Silva the Timorese civilians who in sixteen years old at the time told many stories about the bombing:
   On Mount Matebian. The bombing occurred in October and November. One bomb was an poisoned bomb, when the bombers dropped the poisoned bomb in morning day, many of the civilians become the victims of the bomb. We seeing the explosive when the grass are burned, the bomb burned many grass and in this territory all of their was destroyed by the bombs

### Surrender of Fretilin Leaders

On November 1978 the Fretilin minister of communications and security Alarico Fernandes was surrendered after the sieges by Indonesian forces. And after the surrender of Alarico Fernandes other Fretilin figures also decided to surrendered in 22 December and when the civilians was leaved the Matebian the Indonesian forces brought them to the camp and other civilians was interrogated. except Xanana Gusmão. In his autobiography Xanana wrote:
   The enemy quickly advanced and when my troops were sended to Western Matebian. Explosives, Death of the civilians, tears, and back down. But the people quiet maybe surrendered of the conditions but we already prepared to died over there my forces was retreated and the enemy pushed the forward.
   In one day im woke up when one of the enemy troops called my name with the loud speaker. They said:"Adjunto Xanana, not need continued the battle, command your forces to surrender"!
   They are go from Uatarbacau every night and captured the strategic postions in Uatarbacau to forced our troops to surrendered

### Ambush on Maubisse

Prabowo Subianto as the Captain of Team-28 Kopassus was deployed to captured Nicolau Lobato, the 744th Infantry Battalion under command on Yunus Yosifah also involved at this ambush and with the help of 700th Infantry Battalions and 01st Infantry Battalion. On December 30, 1978 at 05.00 the Commander of the Nanggala-28 team, Capt. Inf Danyon Prabowo Subianto reported to Major Yunus Yosfiah of the Fretilin troop movements toward the south with the largest estimate troops. Central Sector Commander, Infantry Colonel Tottori Sahala King immediately ordered a siege against the target. The Formation used by TNI troops are:
* Team Nanggala-28 (Kopassus): North side
* 700th and 401st Infantry battalions: East side
* 744th Infantry battalions: as the spearhead of the attack
Kolonel Sahala Rajagukguk who also received the reports decided to strengthen the blockade of Lobato forces to encircled the Fretilin movements. Captain Prabowo also received the order to coordinate the sieges with the entire powers of forces. Nanggal 28 Prabowo also advanced to the enemy locations and started the attacks by firing the gun to the Nicolau Lobato and his entire forces, gunfire occurred on both sides, the Lobato guard troops were killed. But Lobato tried to run with the rest of his troops but it was useless while the TNI troops succeeded to block their movements. The 744 Infantry Battalion intercept the forces and occurred the gunfight again Lobato was killed by the Sergeant Jacobus Maradebo (Timorese TNI soldiers), and after the Lobato death Mohammad Jusuf as the ABRI commander reported to Suharto the Nicolau Lobato was killed and eliminated.

## Aftermath

with the fall of Fretilin primary bases on Matebian and the thousand of civilians were surrendered, in early 1979 the Indonesian forces diverted their attention to the rest of Fretilin forces and civilians at the Ermera Districts, Fatubesi, and Mount Kablaki located at Ainaro-Manufahi borders, and in Valley of Dilor rivers. ABRI offensive at Fatubesi causing the internal splits on the Fretilin structure and at the early February the one of the Fretilin fractions surrendered to the Indonesians, the Fretiln companies who refused to surrender was being chased by ABRI forces. In Mount Kablaki the indonesian forces forced the civilians to leaved the mount and they were captured by Indonesian forces who waiting them.
In South Manatuto the Indonesian Marine supported by Air force launched the new operation codenamed "Operation Pembersihan" aimed to cleared another Fretilin guerillas in East Timor, meanwhile the unit military who still in Matebian was relocated to Baucau and Lautém (city) in order to blockade the Fretilin companies. In the February 1979 Mau Lear the commander of Fretilin companies was captured and executed in the same time. The troops who were captured by Indonesian forces was relocated to the holding camp, and in 26 March 1979 the Operation Seroja was ended and success to annexed East Timor.