EELAM WAR I

       In October 1981, a soldier of the army was killed in Stanley Road Jaffna. Since then skirmishes took place on and off until the 23rd of July 1983 when 13 soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army were ambushed and killed by the LTTE at Thirunelveli, in Jaffna. This single incident created a new dimension in the northern conflict in Sri Lanka and also affected the country's image adversely.

      Since then the separatist war in Sri Lanka was converted into a conflict, which yet obstructs the development of this country due to soaring defence expenditure. During the past fourteen years, there were many major operations conducted against the LTTE.

      'Operation Liberation' was conducted to wrest control of the Vadamarachchi area in the Jaffna peninsula, and was aimed at forcing the LTTE to enter negotiations. For the first time in the military history of Sri Lanka, two brigades were launched into an offensive operation in the early hours of 26th May 1987. These two brigades, under the command of late Lt. Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa and late Maj. Gen. Vijaya Wimalarathne were able to complete the capture of the Vadamarachchi area within five days.

       As a result of this Operation, the entire area of Vadamarachchi was brought under the control of the Security Forces. This was a severe blow to the LTTE as Vadamarachchi is the birthplace of the Tiger leader, V.Prabakaran, and also most of the senior cadres of the LTTE are natives of Velvettithurai, the main township of Vadamarachchi. Consequent to this operation, the Army was entrusted with the administration of a large number of civilians.

     The 'Hearts and Minds' campaign was at its height and the population was gradually being drawn towards the Government and the Security Forces. Before the Security Forces commenced the next phase of the operation, aimed at gaining control of the entire Jaffna peninsula, Indian pressure started mounting and climaxed with the forced food drop by the Indian Air Force. The Peace Accord with India was signed on the 29th of July 1987, and the Indian Peace Keeping Force, (IPKF), began arriving, thus making a new dimension in the separatist war in Sri Lanka.

      The Army was confined to barracks in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. This enabled the troop withdrawal from this region in large numbers, to facilitate their deployment in the southern part of the Island to suppress the JVP uprising.