Eastern Theatre of Eelam War IV
Eastern Theatre of Eelam War IV | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Vaharai, Batticaloa. | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Military of Sri Lanka, Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal | Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
General Sarath Fonseka, Major General Parakrama Pannipitiya Karuna Amman |
Brigadier Sornam, Brigadier Bhanu (Tamil militant) | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
20,000 (approx.) | 3,000 (approx.) |
The Eastern Theatre of Eelam War IV started in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka on July 21, 2006 when the LTTE cut off the water supply to rice fields in eastern
Beginning of the war
A new crisis leading to the first large-scale fighting since signing of the ceasefire occurred when the LTTE closed the
The sluice gates were eventually reopened on August 8, with conflicting reports as to who actually opened them. Initially, the SLMM claimed that they managed to persuade the LTTE to lift the waterway blockade conditionally.[7] However a government spokesman said that "utilities can not be used as bargaining tools" by the rebels[3] and the government forces launched fresh attacks on LTTE positions around the reservoir. These attacks prompted condemnation from SLMM Chief of Staff, who stated "(The government does) have the information that the LTTE has made this offer,"... "It is quite obvious they are not interested in water. They are interested in something else."[3] As the battle warmed up, the LTTE claimed that they opened the sluice gates "on humanitarian grounds" although this was disputed by military correspondents, who stated that the water began flowing immediately after the security forces carried out a precise bombing of the Mavil Oya anicut.[8] Eventually, following heavy fighting with the rebels, government troops gained full control of the Mavil Oya reservoir on August 15.[9]
Battle of Muttur and Sampur
The Sri Lankan military gained control the Sampur town of eastern Trincomalee district on September 4, 2006, where the area used by
The battle of
Battle of Vakarai
The Sri Lankan military announced the capture of Vakarai, a coastal town of eastern
Per Sri Lankan military sources, the military operation launched to gain the area of
Battle of Ampara-Kanchikudiyaaru or Kanchikudicharu
The military operation to consolidate the GOSL's control of
After capturing large infrastructure facility of the LTTE, the STF troops found a truck and a motorcycle packed with explosives. The military believed that these items were prepared for a suicide attack in Colombo. The STF also recovered large quantity of arms and ammunition, coffins, anti-personnel mines, radio receivers,
Battle of Thoppigala
The dominating peak in the area is called Thoppigala (British called it Baron's cap, tamils called it Kudumbimalai). It is situated near the Batticaloa–Polonnaruwa border close to Maduru Oya the Sri Lankan military's largest infantry training base. The area is ~800 square kilometres, with rocky mountains (Dimbulagala - Lahugala range), dense jungles and also ancient irrigation tanks. The Sri Lankan military launched their military operation to capture the area from LTTE on April 25, 2007. The full scale jungle warfare started, and the LTTE was trying to protect their last stronghold in Eastern Sri Lanka. The SLA estimated around 500-700 LTTE cadres were fighting in the area in a network of trenches and tunnels.
Capture of LTTE bases
During the period of June 8–9, 2007 Sri Lankan army captured 4 LTTE military bases at Ibbanvila, Akkarathivu, Mawadi-ode, and Veppanveli in Pankudavaella North, and Naarakmulla, South of the Thoppigala area. During the confrontation, around 30 LTTE cadres and 1 SLA personnel died. The SLA captured 06 Multi Purpose Machine Guns (MPMG), 21 T-56 assault riffles, 04 Rocket Propeller Grenade (RPG) launchers, and a large quantity of Anti Personnel (AP) mines and Ammunitions[24]
On June 19, 2007, 03 LTTE satellite camps East of Narakkamulla in the Thoppigala area were completely destroyed by the SLA. As per military sources around 25-30 LTTE were killed and a large quantity of anti-personnel mines (APM's) and other military equipment were captured.[24]
Final assault
Fierce fighting erupted between the LTTE and the SLA at the final forward defence line (FDL) of LTTE, at their Beirut complex in Narakamulla, Thoppigala area between June 22–24, 2007. The FDL was fortified with 6 bunker lines and 3 minor camps. The LTTE did not vacate their positions due to SLA's heavy barrage of artillery and tank gun fire. Finally, around 50 SLA commando's infiltrated the LTTE bunkers and killed 30 of them. Three LTTE cadres committed suicide. This series of events turned the tide of the battle of Thoppogala against the LTTE.[25]
A fierce battle north of Narakamulla, in the Thoppigala area, on July 6, 2007, killed six Sri Lankan army personnel and injured seven, due to heavy mortar fire by the LTTE. The Sri Lankan military retaliated with artillery and aerial bombardment to control the situation.[26]
Capture of Thoppigala (Baron's Cap)
After 13 years, the Sri Lankan military captured the final stronghold of
Comments about the battle
The opposition leader of the Sri Lanka Parliament
Commemoration of the victory in east
The government of Sri Lanka commemorated the military defeat of the
President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the nation stated, "Let us bequeath to them a land where Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims can live together and smile as the children of one mother. It is not possible to bring liberation to the Tamil people through guns, bombs and cyanide capsules. What they destroy is the future of Tamil children". [citation needed] The display of the military equipment and the parade inclusive of various the military units were some of the focal points of the ceremony. The display of air-force fighter planes as the final event of the ceremony. The ceremony has to be viewed in the context of the large political and military implications of the aftermath of the LTTE defeat in the east.[30]
Assassinations
- Head priest of the Santhiveli Pilleyar Kovil, Selliah Kurukkal Parameshwaran, on February 7, 2007, in his home in LTTE and forcibly dragged him out of his house and shot him to death. The TULF leader Anandasangraee himself attributed the murder to the LTTE and strongly condemned the LTTE.[31]
- Chief Secretary of the Eastern Province, Herath Abeyweera, on July 16, 2007, around 18:00 hrs at his office located at Inner Harbour Road in LTTE for this assassination. He had worked as the District Secretary of Ampara for more than 15 years and served the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim people of the East with great commitment.[32]
Impact of war on civilian life
Because of the clashes between LTTE and the Sri Lankan army at Eastern province there were around 35,000 people of 10,000 families internally displaced from Sampoor (Muthur), Seruvilla, Verugal (Echchalampattu) and Vakarai areas. The period of heavy clashes happened from December 2006 to April 2007, many people left their homes and arrived in Sri Lankan government controlled areas.[2]
Political situation in East
After the Sri Lankan military gained control in the eastern province, the political situation within the Tamil society there dramatically changed. The many people living in the area were internally displaced (IDP) .The LTTE breakaway faction led by former LTTE
The TMVP contested Batticaloa district local council election on March 10, 2008, and won all 9 councils with a high majority 70% of votes.
TMVP ideology
The anti-rebel Asian Tribune claimed that
See also
Notes
References
- ^ World Press report, lrrp.wordpress.com. Accessed 3 January 2024.
- ^ a b situation report from UN relief groups, June 2007 Archived 2008-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c "Sri Lanka forces attack reservoir". BBC News. 2006-08-06. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ "Air Force jets hit LTTE targets". Sunil Jayasiri. The Daily Mirror. 2006-07-27. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
- ^ Sri Lanka Newspapers – Sri Lanka News Updates around the clock Archived 2007-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "'Muslims flee' Sri Lanka fighting". BBC News. August 2, 2006. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- ^ slmm attempt
- ^ The Sunday Times Situation Report, Eelam war IV rages on several fronts
- ^ Iqbal Athas, Janes Defence Weekly, Full-scale fighting flares in Sri Lanka
- ^ "Sri Lankan troops take key town". BBC News. 2006-09-04. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ "Army 'consolidates' Sampur gains". BBC News. 2006-09-05. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ "LTTE admits defeat in Sampoor". BBC News. 2006-09-04.
- ^ "Sampur 'under our control'". BBC News. 2006-09-08.
- ^ "Tigers kill 100 refugees, Sri Lanka says, amid new moves to halt bloodshed". AFP. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
- ^ "Sri Lanka troops 'take key town'". BBC News. 2007-01-19. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ "'Last civilian' leaves Vakarai". BBC News. 2007-01-19.
- ^ "Government forces take Vakarai". BBC News. 2007-01-19.
- ^ Gardner, Simon (January 19, 2007). "Sri Lanka captures rebel town as thousands flee". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
- ^ "Sri Lanka troops hunt rebels as refugees flood camps". Reuters. January 20, 2007. Archived from the original on January 14, 2008. Retrieved 2007-01-20.
- ^ "Sri Lanka's displaced face uncertainty". BBC News. January 22, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
- ^ World-press report
- ^ Sunday Times report
- ^ "World-news". Archived from the original on 2009-01-16. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
- ^ a b "Sunday Observer". Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Sri Lanka says 33 Tigers die in battle". Reuters. June 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
- ^ "Six Sri Lankan troops are killed". BBC News. July 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ "Sri Lanka declares fall of rebel east, Tigers defiant". Reuters. July 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ BBC news report
- ^ BBC news report
- ^ "Report in the hindunet". Archived from the original on 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Lanka newspapers report
- ^ Gardner, Simon (July 17, 2007). "Sri Lanka President vows to wrest all land from rebels". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
- ^ "A date with a renegade rebel Tiger - BBC Interview with Karuna Amman". BBC News. April 4, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
- ^ "Ex-Tamil Tigers win local polls". BBC News. 2008-03-11. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ "Sri Lankan government wins vote". BBC News. 2008-05-11. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ "CM appointment illegal - Hisbullah". BBC News. 2008-05-16.
- ^ "Sri Lanka is our Motherland. We respect the constitution, the President and the government". Asian Tribune. Archived from the original on 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
External links
- Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka
- GoSL Peace Secretariat
- LTTE Peace Secretariat
- Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
- Lanka Academic, news site sponsored by Sri Lankan academics worldwide
- Ilankai Tamil Sangam: Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
- Texts of key agreements in the peace process and an analysis of the process by Conciliation Resources
- Report on the Sri Lankan peace process by Asiafoundation
- hWeb - Sri Lanka’s recent history of ethnic conflict and political crisis originates from its colonial legacy
- hWeb - Sri Lanka’s recent history of ethnic conflict originates from its colonial legacy
- Peace&War: Humanity Ashore Pictorial