Battle of Mullaitivu (1996)

Battle of Mullaitivu
Operation Unceasing Waves

Date	July 18 – 25, 1996
Location	Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka
Result	Tamil Tiger victory

Belligerents

Military of Sri Lanka

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Commanders and leaders

Gen. R. De S. Daluwatte,
Col. A.F. Lafir (DOW),
Maj. Janaka Kasthuriarachchi †

Velupillai Prabhakaran

Strength

1,407

4,000

Casualties and losses

Gunboat Sunk
1,242
(207 captured and executed) killed

332 killed

The Battle of Mullaitivu (codenamed Operation Unceasing Waves by the Tamil Tigers), was a battle that occurred between 18–25 July 1996 for the control of the town of Mullaitivu in Sri Lanka. The battle was fought between units of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Following its major defeat in late 1995 when the LTTE lost control of the Jaffna peninsula to the Sri Lankan Army in Operation Riviresa, the LTTE moved to the jungles of the Wanni region. Afterwards the Sri Lankan government and press repeatedly claimed that two-thirds of the LTTE's fighting strength had been destroyed. To counter this—and to increase its image internationally—the LTTE planned and trained a group of 4,000 cadres for an attack on the SLA base at Mullaitivu. LTTE founder and leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was personally involved in the planning and coordination of this operation, code-named "Unceasing Waves".

The Sri Lankan army base at Mullaitivu covered a vast area and was bordered by the sea on one side. The camp occupied an area 2900m long by 1500 wide with a perimeter of 8500m. It had initially been set up as a smaller camp in the early 1980s. Over the following years the camp was expanded to cover most of the small town of Mullaitivu, which was the administrative centre of the Mullaitivu district. The isolated base was the 215 Brigade Headquarters and had no road links to any other garrisons situated in the region. Based there were the 6th Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment and the 9th battalion of the Sinha Regiment. On the day of the attack the two most senior officers, the officiating brigade commander, Col. (later Maj. Gen.) Lawrence Fernando, and his deputy, Lt. Col. Gunaratne, were away in Colombo on duty leave. On the day of the attack 9th battalion of Sinha Regiment was commanded by Major H Dabarera, 6th Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment by Major TRA Aliba (later Lt. Col ) and Brigade Headquarters was under Major Janaka Kasturiarachchi.

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