Eelam War IV was the fourth and final phase of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Renewed hostilities began on the 26 July 2006, when Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bombed several LTTE camps around Mavil Aru anicut, with the casus belli being that the LTTE had cut off the water supply to surrounding paddy fields in the area. This bombing shut down the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru, depriving water to over 15,000 people, mainly Sinhalese and Muslim settlers under Sri Lankan state-sponsored colonisation schemes in Trincomalee District. As a result, the settlers were denied of water for drinking and also cultivating over 30,000 acres of paddy and other crops. The fighting resumed after a four-year ceasefire between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and LTTE. Continued fighting led to several territorial gains for the Sri Lankan Army, including the capture of Sampur, Vakarai and other parts of the east. The war took on an added dimension when the LTTE Air Tigers bombed Katunayake airbase on March 26, 2007, the first terrorist air attack without external assistance in history.
Eelam War IV ended on 18 May 2009 with the Sri Lanka Army gaining control of the last bit of territory held by the LTTE and with the death of the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. The final few days of the war near Nandikadal Lagoon in the north east of the island saw very heavy fighting and led to Sri Lankan forces being accused of war crimes, which were denied by the government. Some 300,000 Tamil civilians who were trapped inside the war zone and prevented from escaping by the LTTE were caught in the crossfire during the final phase of the war.
Peace process 2002
The elections held on 5 December 2001 saw a sweeping victory for the United National Front, led by Ranil Wickremasinghe, who campaigned on a pro-peace platform and pledged to find a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
On 19 December, amidst efforts by Norway to bring the government and the Tamil Tigers to the negotiating table, the LTTE announced a 30-day ceasefire with the Sri Lankan government and pledged to halt all attacks against government forces. The new government welcomed the move, and reciprocated it 2 days later, announcing a month-long ceasefire and agreeing to lift a long-standing economic embargo on rebel-held territory.
Signing of MoU
The two sides formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on February 22, 2002 and signed a permanent ceasefire agreement (CFA). Norway was named mediator, and it was decided that they, together with the other Nordic countries, monitor the ceasefire through a committee of experts named the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. In August, the government agreed to lift the ban on the LTTE and paved the way for the resumption of direct negotiations with the LTTE.
Following the signing of the ceasefire agreement, commercial air flights to Jaffna began and the LTTE opened the key A9 highway, which linked government controlled area in the south with Jaffna and ran through LTTE territory, allowing civilian traffic through the Vanni region for the first time in many years. Many foreign countries also offered substantial financial support if peace was achieved and optimism grew that an end to the decades long conflict was in sight.
The much anticipated peace talks began in Sattahip Naval Base, Chonburi Province, Thailand on the September 16, with 5 further rounds following in Rose Garden, Nakhorn Pathom Province, Norway and Berlin, Germany. During the talks, both sides agreed to the principle of a federal solution and the Tigers dropped their long standing demand for separate state. This was a key compromise from the LTTE, which had always insisted on an independent Tamil state and it also represented a compromise from the government, which had seldom agreed to more than minimal devolution. Both sides also exchanged prisoners of war for first time.
Beginning of the war
A new crisis leading to the first large-scale fighting since signing of the ceasefire occurred in 2006, when the LTTE closed the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru reservoir on July 21 and cut the water supply to 15,000 villages in government controlled areas. After initial negotiations and efforts 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 gate. Palitha Kohona, a government spokesman, stated that the government remained committed to the cease-fire. Likewise, the LTTE also claimed that they were committed to the ceasefire
The sluice gates were eventually reopened on August 8, by Sri Lankan Military who managed to forcibly take control of the sluice gates of the reservoir from LTTE rebels. However a government spokesman said that "utilities could not be used as bargaining tools" by the rebels and government forces launched fresh attacks on LTTE positions around the reservoir. Eventually, following heavy fighting with the rebels, government troops gained full control of the Mavil Aru reservoir on August 15.
War in the East
The war between LTTE and Sri Lankan government started after the failure of Norway brokered cease fire on 21 July 2006, when LTTE cut off the water supply to the rice growing fields in the Mavil Aru area in eastern Trincomalee district. The government military claimed the total control of the eastern province after capturing Thoppigala on 11 July 2007 following nearly a year of fighting.
The TMVP contested Batticaloa district local council election on 10 March 2008 and won all 9 councils with a high majority 70% of votes. The party also contested in Eastern Provincial Council election May 10, 2008 under the ruling UPFA banner and UPFA won the election. TMVP's leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Eastern Provincial Council on 16 May 2008.
Political situation in North and East
Karuna has also been accused of gross human rights violations such as forming death squads, harassing journalists, extrajudicial killings, abductions, and the use of child soldiers against the LTTE. Apart from that his group has split due to alleged financial corruption issues. Karuna, with the help of the Government of Sri Lanka, was smuggled into Great Britain for refuge. He was later arrested by British authorities for illegal entry and is being probed for war crimes.
Sri Lanka pulls out of ceasefire
On 2 January 2008, The Sri Lankan government unanimously decided to formally withdraw from the ceasefire with the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, which had existed only on paper over the past two years. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake had proposed that the cabinet annul the truce after yet another bomb blast went off on 2 January in the capital, Colombo, killing five and injuring over 28.
"The Government of Sri Lanka yesterday (3rd January 2008) formally notified the Norwegian Government of its decision to terminate the Agreement on a "Ceasefire (CFA) between the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam" concluded on 22nd February 2002. This notification was in terms of Article 4:4 of this Agreement and will take effect 14 days from the date of this notice i.e. 16th January 2008.
Accordingly, the Status of Mission Agreement (SOMA) on the Establishment and the Management of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) dated 18th March 2002 between the Royal Norwegian Government and the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka will also stand terminated with effect from 16th January 2008."
This was amidst the demands of the defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on 29 December 2007. In response, donor countries such as the United States, Canada, and Norway expressed their deep regrets on this decision by the Sri Lankan government. In addition, India also shown its dismay of Sri Lanka's abrogation of the ceasefire.
War in the North
In the north of the country, some of the bloodiest fighting since 2001 took place after the LTTE launched massive attacks on Sri Lanka Army defence lines in the Jaffna Peninsula on August 11. The LTTE used a force of 400 to 500 fighters in the attacks which consisted of land and amphibious assaults, and also fired a barrage of artillery at government positions, including the key military airbase at Palali. Initially, the Tigers broke through army defense lines around Muhamalai, and advanced further north, but they were halted after 10 hours of fierce fighting. Isolated battles continued over the next few days, but the LTTE was forced to give up its offensive due to heavy casualties.
From September 2007, the intensity of clashes increased. During clashes in the Forward Defence Lines, separating their forces, both sides exchanged heavy artillery fire, after which military incursions followed. By December 22, 2007, the LTTE defences at Uyilankulama and Thampanaikkulam fell to advancing troops of the Sri Lanka Army. On December 29, 2007, the Army overran the LTTE stronghold at Parappakandal, Mannar.
In an interview with the 'Sunday Observer', the Sri Lankan Army Commander, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, said that the Army had occupied the LTTE's Forward Defence Lines and surrounded the LTTE bases in Wanni from all directions. In addition, he stated that there were around 3,000 Tigers remaining, and that the military targets to annihilate them within the first six months of 2008. However, less optimistic statements by Army, Air Force and Navy commanders were delivered the next day.
The military of Sri Lanka also claimed that the leader of the LTTE, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was seriously injured during air strikes carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force on a bunker complex in Jayanthinagar on November 26, 2007. Earlier, on November 2, 2007, S. P. Thamilselvan, the head of the rebels' political wing, was killed during another government air raid. On January 5, 2008,a pro-LTTE website reported that the Head of LTTE Military Intelligence, Colonel Charles, was killed in a claymore ambush by a suspected Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit.
Before the government offensive, the war in the Northern front was in a stalemate due to the unique topology of the two major Forward Defence Lines, The Nagarcoil FDL and The Muhamalai FDL.
Capture of Mannar District
On 2 August 2008 the Sri Lankan army captured the town of Vellankulam which was the last bastion of Tigers in the Mannar district. This marked the capture of the entire Mannar district by the Army which took eight months.
Battles at sea
Battle of Point Pedro
The Sri Lankan Navy was attacked by a group of Tamil Tiger boats. A group of SLN attack boats was escorting a troop transport, the MV Pearl Cruise II which was carrying 710 soldiers for the city of Jaffna which had been under siege for the previous six years.
On 18 October 2006 a suicide attack was carried out by 15 Sea Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the commercial Galle Harbour and Sri Lanka Navy base SLNS Dakshina in the tourist town of Galle in southern Sri Lanka.
The Battle of Point Pedro 2007 was a naval battle that occurred on June 19, 2007 near Point Pedro, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The battle took place when Sri Lankan Navy patrol boats were attacked by a group of Tamil Tiger patrol boats off the shore of Point Pedro.
The Battle of Delft was a naval battle on December 25, 2007 and part of the Sri Lankan Civil War. The Sri Lankan Navy claimed that it received reports of a boat cluster moving off of Delft Island. After moving in to investigate clashes erupted and fierce sea battle ensued. Both sides claimed to have victory. The pro-rebel Tamilnet claimed that the Sea Tigers sank one Sri Lankan Navy vessel and the Sri Lankan Navy suffered casualty. However, the Sri Lankan Defense ministry claimed that 6 Tiger boats were sunk and over 40 Tigers were killed.
On March 22, 2008, a Navy fast attack boat was destroyed after it hit a suspected sea mine laid by Tamil Tiger rebels off the country's north-east coast.
As one of the turning point of the Eelam War IV, Sri Lanka Navy ships destroyed 8 LTTE floating warehouses which carried 100,000 each of 122, 130 and 155mm Artillery Ammunition and 60mm and 81mm Mortar Ammunitions. This was the first time Sri Lanka Navy conduct a mission in 4000 km deep into the International sea.
The air war
The battle in air is significant for both sides (GoSL and LTTE) in this phase of war. The Sri Lankan Air Force used its attack aircraft to carry out a bombing campaign against identified LTTE targets. The LTTE Air Tigers also used its light aircraft to carry out bombing on the Sri Lankan military.
Major air strikes of SLAF
- On 14 August 2006 the SLAF bombed a facility in the rebel-held Mullaitivu area. The LTTE claimed 61 girls were killed, the SLMM stated they were able to count just 19 bodies. The government claimed that it was an LTTE training facility and that the children were LTTE child soldiers, although the LTTE claimed the victims were schoolgirls attending a course on first aid at an orphanage. A team from UNICEF and the Swedish-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) visited the bombed site and said they had found no evidence to support claims the rebels had been using the facility as a military training centre.
- On 7 May 2007 at about 0725 supersonic fighter jets of the SLAF bombed a strategic LTTE base and a large fuel storage at Ramanatpuram East of Iranamadu.
- In November 2007, Thamilselvan, along with five other high ranking Tamil rebels were killed by a precision air strike carried out by the SLAF on an undisclosed location near the rebels's stronghold town of Kilinochchi.