 Because <unk> and <unk> were based in Zambia , many <unk> <unk> for a massive retaliatory strike against terrorist targets in that country , but the first external target hit by the security forces following the Viscount <unk> was the prominent cluster of ZANLA bases around <unk> in Mozambique . The Rhodesian military had struck these bases extensively in November 1977 during Operation <unk> , destroying much of the ZANLA presence there , but the insurgents had since built a complex called " New <unk> " , slightly to the east ; the new camps were distributed across a far larger area than the originals . In a combined airborne @-@ ground assault called Operation <unk> , the Rhodesian Air Force , Rhodesian Light Infantry and Special Air Service wiped out much of New <unk> on 20 September 1978 . Mozambique sent armour to ZANLA 's aid in the form of nine Soviet @-@ made T @-@ 54 tanks and four Russian <unk> @-@ 152 armoured personnel carriers , but the former were routed and one of the latter destroyed by the Rhodesian security forces . According to Rhodesian figures , there were " several hundred " guerrillas killed , while the security forces lost only two soldiers , one of whom was accidentally killed by a friendly air strike . 
