Battle of Kilinochchi (1998)

Battle during the Sri Lankan civil war

Battle of Kilinochchi
Operation Unceasing Waves II

Part of the Sri Lankan civil war
| Date| September 27, 1998 – September 29, 1998

|

Location|

Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka

Result|  Tamil Tiger victory
Territorial
changes|  LTTE captured Kilinochchi
Belligerents
Military of Sri Lanka|  Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Commanders and leaders
Chandrika Kumaratunga|  Velupillai Prabhakaran
Strength

3,500+ troops [1][2]

* 543 Brigade:
* 10th Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
* 4th Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
* 6th Battalion, Gemunu Watch
* 7th Battalion, Gemunu Watch
* 9th Battalion, Gemunu Watch
* 7th Battalion, Sri Lanka Light Infantry
* Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
* Fire support:
* Sri Lanka Artillery
* Sri Lanka Air Force

Troops Number's Unknown

* Intelligence Attack Team
* Special Reconnaissance Unit
* Mayooran Sniper Unit
* Land Leopard Force
* Jeyanthan Regiment
* Charles Antony Special Regiment
* Anparasi Regiment
* Malathy Regiment
* Sothiya Regiment
* Santhosam Regiment
* Manalaaru Regiment
* Victor Anti-Armor Regiment

Fire Support:

* Kittu Artillery Brigade
* Ratha Anti-Aircraft Team

Auxiliary Force:

* Special Border Force

Casualties and losses

Sept 27–29:

* 1,250+ killed and ~2,000 wounded (LTTE & UNP claims)[2][3]
* 857 killed, 936 wounded,171 missing (SLA claims)[4]
* 3 Tanks & 1 APC destroyed [5]

By Sept 30:

* 1,900 killed (UNP claims)[2]

|  520 killed (SLA claims)[6] 403 killed (LTTE claim) [7]

* v
* t
* e

Eelam War III

* Sooraya and Ranasuru
* Weli Oya (1995)
* Jaffna (1995)
* Riviresa
* Mullaitivu (1996)
* Sath Jaya
* Edibala
* Pulukunawa
* Vavunathivu
* Jayasikurui (Thandikulam–Omanthai, Battle of Kanakarayankulam (1997))
* Rivi bala
* Kilinochchi (1998)
* Rana Gosa
* Oddusuddan
* Kinihira
* A-9 highway
* 2nd Elephant Pass
* Rivikirana
* Bandaranaike

* v
* t
* e

Sri Lankan civil war

Main topics

* Eelam War I
* Indian intervention
* Eelam War II
* Eelam War III
* Eelam War IV
* Battles and operations
* Bombings and terrorist attacks
* Other military attacks

* * *

Mass graves

* Chemmani
* Duraiappa
* Mirusuvil
* Sooriyakanda

* * *

Massacres

* Black July
* Kokkilai massacre
* 1985 Valvettiturai
* Kumudini
* Akkaraipattu
* Prawn farm
* Eastern University
* 1990 Batticaloa
* Massacre of policemen
* 1991 Kokkadichcholai
* Air Lanka Flight 512
* Jaffna lagoon
* Aluth Oya massacre
* Navaly
* Nagerkovil-Allaipiddy
* Vankalai
* Central Bus Station bombing
* Muttur
* Kent and Dollar Farm
* Anuradhapura
* Aranthalawa
* Kattankudi mosque
* Palliyagodella
* Lionair Flight 602
* Kallarawa
* October 1995
* Gonagala
* Kebithigollewa
* Jaffna Hospital
* Central Bank bombing
* Dehiwala train bombing
* 1989 Valvettiturai
* Habarana massacre

* v
* t
* e

Eelam War I

* Kokkilai
* Vadamarachchi
* Operation Poomalai
* Nelliady

* v
* t
* e

Indian intervention in the
Sri Lankan civil war

* Poomalai
* Pawan
* Trishul
* Viraat
* Checkmate
* Jaffna University Helidrop

* v
* t
* e

Eelam War II

* Kokavil
* Sea Breeze
* Thrividha Balaya
* Elephant Pass
* Balavegaya
* Sathbala
* Balavegaya II
* Janakapura
* Pooneryn

* v
* t
* e

Eelam War III

* Sooraya and Ranasuru
* Weli Oya (1995)
* Jaffna (1995)
* Riviresa
* Mullaitivu (1996)
* Sath Jaya
* Edibala
* Pulukunawa
* Vavunathivu
* Jayasikurui (Thandikulam–Omanthai, Battle of Kanakarayankulam (1997))
* Rivi bala
* Kilinochchi (1998)
* Rana Gosa
* Oddusuddan
* Kinihira
* A-9 highway
* 2nd Elephant Pass
* Rivikirana
* Bandaranaike

* v
* t
* e

Eelam War IV

Eastern Theatre of Eelam War IV
Sampur
December 2006
Definite Victory

Vakarai
Thoppigala

Northern Theatre of Eelam War IV
Jaffna
Silavathurai
2008-2009 offensive

Welioya
Vavuniya
Kallarawa
Madhu
Adampan
Vidattaltivu
Kilinochchi
Paranthan
Mullaitivu
Chalai
Puthukkudiyirippu
Vellamullivaikkal

Other
1st Point Pedro
Galle
2nd Point Pedro
Palali raid
Colombo raids
Anuradhapura
Delft
Coast of Jaffna
Naval anti arms smuggling operations

The Battle of Kilinochchi (codenamed Operation Unceasing Waves II by the Tamil Tigers) occurred in September 1998 over the control of the city of Kilinochchi in Sri Lanka (geographical coordinates 9°23′00″N 80°24′00″E﻿ / ﻿9.383333°N 80.4°E﻿ / 9.383333; 80.4). The battle was fought between the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

## Prelude

[edit]

On 25 July, 1996 Mullaitivu base fell under LTTE control. Immediately on the 26th of July 1996 the Sri-Lankan Army launched Operation Sath Jaya with the intention of capturing Kilinochchi After 70 days of fighting, the SLA captured Kilinochchi on 22 September, 1996. This caused several thousand civilians to be displaced.

## The battle

[edit]

On September 27, 1998, the LTTE launched Operation Unceasing Waves II, an offensive to recapture the town of Kilinochchi. They assaulted the Sri Lankan Army's Kilinochchi complex, ten miles south of the Elephant Pass base. The following day, the Tigers captured a distance of five miles on the Jaffna-Vavuniya road. Elephant Pass and Paranthan military bases, further north, were also attacked to block reinforcements. Fighting continued until September 29 1998, when Kilinochchi finally fell to the Tigers.

## Casualties

[edit]

The Sri Lankan Army claimed that up to 520 Tigers and 443 SLA soldiers were killed in the close-quarters and hand-to-hand fighting over two days. On the same day that Kilinochchi fell to the Tigers the city of Mankulam, which was rebel-held, fell to the SLA. [6] But the Sri Lankan opposition party leader Ranil Wickremasinghe challenged this claim in the parliament on 10 October 1998 by providing a casualty figure of over 1250 dead and 2000+ wounded between 27 and 29 September and 1900 SLA troops had died by September 30 when the fighting had eased.[2] But the government nor the SL military had not denied this claim. Mr. Wickremasinghe's sources were said to be from SLA HQ and Military Intelligence.[2]

LTTE handed over 684 bodies, which were in good condition, of the more than 1000 dead-bodies of SLA soldiers recovered from the battlefield, according to the LTTE sources in London,[5] to SLA through ICRC in two phases.[3][8] In addition to these 262 dead-bodies were recovered by the Sri Lankan military. In Colombo, hospital officials said an additional 53 soldiers have died in hospitals.[9] A total of 989 dead bodies have been received by the Sri Lankan military.

In a heavily guarded area, representatives of various regiments spent over 20 hours identifying dead-bodies. Those who were personally identified were handed over to the next of kin whilst those who were only identified as soldiers were cremated at a close ceremony with full military honours.[10]

## Tamil People reaction

[edit]

In the north, Tamils have donated blood and helped the LTTE care for wounded soldiers. People gathered in large numbers in the area to welcome the Liberation Tigers who took part in the operation with soft drinks and coconut water.[1]

## Weapons lost by SLA

[edit]

The LTTE claimed to have captured 2 130 mm Artillery pieces, 1 Buffel and many military vehicles.[11]

The SL opposition party at that time, the UNP, claimed that 4 artillery pieces, 2 T-55 tanks, 8 Buffel, and 75 assorted jeeps, trucks and tractors were lost by SLA to LTTE, though it was not clear if these referred items were destroyed or captured by the Tigers. He also added that the SLA had also lost approximately 2,500 small arms, over 2 million rounds of small arms ammunition and over 1,000 artillery rounds.[2]

## See also

[edit]

* 2008–2009 Battle of Kilinochchi
* Operation Unceasing Waves I
* Operation Unceasing Waves III
* List of Sri Lankan Civil War battles

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "TamilNet". www.tamilnet.com.
2. ^ a b c d e f "TamilNet". www.tamilnet.com.
3. ^ a b "TamilNet". www.tamilnet.com.
4. ^ Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 – May 2009 (PDF). Ministry Of Defence Democratic Socialist Republic Of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
5. ^ a b "TamilNet". www.tamilnet.com.
6. ^ a b "CNN - Rebels launch heavy assault on Sri Lankan army - October 7, 1998". www.cnn.com.
7. ^ "SLA suffers heavy losses in Kilinochchi - VoT". TamilNet, 29 September 1998.
8. ^ "TamilNet". www.tamilnet.com.
9. ^ Archives, L. A. Times (October 1, 1998). "Sri Lankan Forces' Battle With Rebels Claims 1,400 Lives". Los Angeles Times.
10. ^ "The Sunday Times Front Page". www.sundaytimes.lk.
11. ^ "TamilNet". www.tamilnet.com.

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