Operation Uric

Operation Uric
	Part of the Rhodesian Bush War (or Second Chimurenga)
Date	1–8 September 1979
Location	Mapai, Gaza Province, Mozambique22°50′53″S 31°57′39″E / 22.848084°S 31.960901°E
Result	ZANLA/Mozambican victory
Belligerents
Zimbabwe Rhodesia; South Africa	ZANLA (ZANU); Mozambique
Commanders and leaders
Gen. Peter Walls; Air Commodore Norman Walsh; Brigadier Van Loggerenberg;	Josiah Tongogara
Units involved
Rhodesian Army SAS; RhAF; SADF SAAF;	ZANLA (ZANU); FRELIMO
Strength
:; 200 soldiers; 8 Hawker Hunters; 1 "Warthog" Dakota (ELINT); 6 Lynxes; ; 6 Canberras operated by both Rhodesia and South Africa.; 11 Dakotas operated by both Rhodesia and South Africa.; Total 28 helicopters, mostly South Africans, including :; ; Alouette helicopters; Huey helicopters; ; Alouette helicopters; Several Super Frelon helicopters; Several Puma aka Cheetah helicopters;	:; 1500 (Rhodesian claim)
Casualties and losses
:; 15 killed; 1 wounded; 1 Bell UH-1 destroyed; :; 3 killed; 1 SA 330 Puma destroyed	:; 300+ killed (Rhodesian claim); :; None (Mozambican claim); four bridges dropped; one dam heavily breached;

Operation Uric (or Operation Bootlace for the South Africans) was a cross-border raid carried out in Mozambique by operatives of the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War, with combat assistance from the South African Air Force. During the operation, which took place from 1 to 7 September 1979, up to 200 Rhodesian and South African military personnel attacked bridges and a major staging point for Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) insurgents in Gaza Province. Along with Operation Miracle, this was one of the largest Rhodesian external operations of the war.