Eastern Theater of Eelam War IV

An unexploded 122mm projectile of multiple rocket launcher stuck into muddy land in Vaharai, Batticaloa.

Date	July 21, 2006 – July 11, 2007
Location	Sri Lanka
Result	Sri Lankan Military victory

Belligerents

Sri Lanka

Military of Sri Lanka

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Commanders and leaders

General Sarath Fonseka,
Major General Parakrama Pannipitiya

Swarnam

Strength

20,000 (approx.)

3,000 (approx.)

Sri Lanka

The Eastern Theater of Eelam War IV, the warfare started in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka on July 21, 2006, when the LTTE cut off the water supply to the rice fields in the Mavil aru area in the eastern Trincomalee district. The government military claimed the total control of the Eastern province after capturing the Thoppigala (Baron's cap) on July 11, 2007 after nearly a year of fighting.

The major battles took place at Sampoor, Vakarai, Kangikadaichchi Aru, Kokkadichloai and Thoppigala (Baron's cap). The military and civilian deaths are considerably low on both sides, and the government forces captured much military hardware from the LTTE during the conflict. The civilians managed to flee the combat zones, even though the LTTE tried to prevent this, and this reduced civilian casualties, while swelling the number of internally displaced people (IDP). The world health organization (WHO) estimated ~200,300 IDPs, and claims that significant progress has occurred in resettling them

The LTTE has vowed to attack Sri Lanka's military and economic targets across the country to retaliate the capture of the Eastern province from them. This was stated by the LTTE political-wing leader S.P. Thamilchelvan, in a statement to Associated Press on July 12, 2007 at Killinochchi in northern Sri Lanka.

A new crisis leading to the first large-scale fighting since signing of the ceasefire occurred when the LTTE closed the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru (Mavil Oya) reservoir on July 21 and cut the water supply to 15,000 villages in government controlled areas. After the initial negotiations by the SLMM to open the gates failed, the Air Force attacked LTTE positions on July 26, and ground troops began an operation to open the gates. government spokesman, stated that the government remained committed to the cease-fire. Likewise, the LTTE also claimed that they were committed to the ceasefire

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Wikipedia