INS Godavari, the country's first indigenously designed and built warship was decommissioned on Wednesday in Mumbai after thirty-two years of service. The ship's flag was lowered for the last time during the ceremony in Mumbai, with many of her former commanding officers on board. "INS Godavari is likely to be used as a target to practice missile firing," a naval official told India’s NDTV. About 80 armed mercenaries from the Tamil secessionist organisation from Sri Lanka, the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), landed in Maldives capital Male before dawn on November 3, 1988. The mercenaries quickly gained control of the capital, including the major government buildings, airport, port and television and radio stations. However, they failed to capture President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who fled from house to house and asked for military intervention from India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi immediately dispatched 1,600 troops by air to restore order in Male. The Indian paratroopers immediately secured the airfield, crossed over to Male using commandeered boats and rescued President Gayoom. The paratroopers restored control of the capital to President Gayoom's government within hours. Some of the mercenaries fled toward Sri Lanka in a hijacked freighter. Those unable to reach the ship in time were quickly rounded up and handed over to the Maldives government. The Indian navy frigates, Godavari and Betwa intercepted the freighter off the Sri Lankan coast, and captured the mercenaries. Over the past three decades, INS Godavari was deployed in numerous operations including 'Operation Jupiter' 1988 (Sri Lanka), 'Operation Shield' and 'Operation Bolster' 1994 (de-induction of Indian Army from Somalia) and 'Patrol of Gulf of Aden' 2009 and 2011 (anti-piracy operations).