diff --git a/mlir/lib/Bindings/Python/IRCore.cpp b/mlir/lib/Bindings/Python/IRCore.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/Bindings/Python/IRCore.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/Bindings/Python/IRCore.cpp
@@ -754,9 +754,8 @@
 
 PyOperation::~PyOperation() {
   auto &liveOperations = getContext()->liveOperations;
-  assert(liveOperations.count(operation.ptr) == 1 &&
-         "destroying operation not in live map");
-  liveOperations.erase(operation.ptr);
+  if (liveOperations.count(operation.ptr))
+    liveOperations.erase(operation.ptr);
   if (!isAttached()) {
     mlirOperationDestroy(operation);
   }
@@ -2094,6 +2093,7 @@
                   py::arg("successors") = py::none(), py::arg("regions") = 0,
                   py::arg("loc") = py::none(), py::arg("ip") = py::none(),
                   kOperationCreateDocstring)
+      .def("destroy", [](PyOperation &self) { self.~PyOperation(); })
       .def_property_readonly(MLIR_PYTHON_CAPI_PTR_ATTR,
                              &PyOperation::getCapsule)
       .def(MLIR_PYTHON_CAPI_FACTORY_ATTR, &PyOperation::createFromCapsule)
diff --git a/mlir/test/Bindings/Python/ir_operation.py b/mlir/test/Bindings/Python/ir_operation.py
--- a/mlir/test/Bindings/Python/ir_operation.py
+++ b/mlir/test/Bindings/Python/ir_operation.py
@@ -646,3 +646,17 @@
     assert m2 is m
 
 run(testCapsuleConversions)
+
+# CHECK-LABEL: TEST: testOperationDestroy
+def testOperationDestroy():
+  ctx = Context()
+  ctx.allow_unregistered_dialects = True
+  with Location.unknown(ctx):
+    m = Module.create()
+    with InsertionPoint(m.body):
+      op = Operation.create("custom.op1")
+      assert ctx._get_live_operation_count() == 2
+      op.operation.destroy()
+      assert ctx._get_live_operation_count() == 1
+
+run(testOperationDestroy)