List of military operations of the Sri Lankan Civil War

After defeating the insurgency led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in 1971, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces were confronted with a new conflict, this time with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other Tamil militant groups. The war escalated to the point where India was asked to intervene as a peacekeeping force. This was later seen as a tactical error, as the IPKF united nationalist elements such as the JVP to politically support the LTTE in their call to evict the IPKF. The war with the LTTE was halted following the signing of a ceasefire agreement in 2002 with the help of international mediation. However, renewed violence broke out in December 2005 and following the collapse of peace talks, the army has been involved in the heavy fighting that has resumed in the north and east of the country.

Since 1980 the army has undertaken many operations against the LTTE rebels. The major operations conducted by the army eventually lead to the capture of Jaffna and other rebel strongholds.

Major combat operations of the Sri Lankan Army

Operation Name	Date	Location	Purpose/Result
1971 JVP Insurrection	1971–1972

Eelam War I (1976-1987)

Operation Name	Date	Location	Purpose/Result
Vadamarachchi Operation

IPKF intervention

Operation Name	Date	Location	Purpose/Result
JVP Uprising	1987–1990

Eelam War II (1990-1995)

Operation Name	Date	Location	Purpose/Result
Operation Sea Breeze
Operation Thrividha Balaya
Operation Balavegaya I, II

|Operation Edibala (Mannar Vavuniya linking up operation)

Eelam War III (1995-2002)

Operation Name	Date	Location	Purpose/Result
Operation Riviresa
Operation Jayasikurui
Operation Rivibala
Operation Ranagosa
Operation Rivikirana
Operation Kinihira I, II, III/IV, V/VI, VII, VIII, IX

Operation Edibala (Mannar vavuniya linking up operation)

Eelam War IV (2006-2009)

Eastern Theater

Operation Name	Date	Location	Purpose/Result
Operations in Thoppigala area

Northern Theater

Operation Name	Date	Location	Purpose/Result
2008 SLA Northern offensive

Major Battles

The table below lists all the major battles of the Sri Lankan Civil War. The information included in the table has been pieced together from the individual battle articles.

Battle	Date	Location	Deaths				Result
			Sri Lankan Military	Tamil Tigers (LTTE)	IPKF	Civilians
Eelam War I 23 July 1983 – 29 July 1987
Kokkilai Offensive	13 February 1985	SLA camp, Kokkilai, Mullaitivu District	4-100	16			LTTE victory
Vadamarachchi Operation (aka Operation Liberation)	26 May 1987 - June 1987	Vadamarachchi, Jaffna District	689	631			Partial SLA victory, Operation Poomalai
Operation Poomalai	4 June 1987	Jaffna, Jaffna District					Indian intervention
Cease Fire 29 July 1987 - October 1987
Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War October 1987 - 24 March 1990
Operation Pawan	11 October 1987 – 25 October 1987	Jaffna, Jaffna District		?	214		IPKF victory
Operation Trishul	April 1988	Northern Province
Operation Viraat	April 1988	Northern Province					IPKF victory
Operation Checkmate	June 1988	Vadamarachi, Northern Province					IPKF victory
Jaffna University Helidrop	12 October 1988	Jaffna, Jaffna District					LTTE victory
Eelam War II 10 June 1990 – 9 January 1995
Battle of Kokavil	27 June 1990 – 11 July 1990	SLA camp, Kokavil, Kilinochchi District	69				LTTE victory
Operation Sea Breeze							SLA victory
Operation Thrividha Balaya							SLA victory
Operation Balavegaya (aka Operation Power Force)	14 July 1991 – 9 August 1991	Jaffna, Jaffna District	202-400	573-1,000+			SLA victory
Operation Sathbala							SLA victory
Operation Balavegaya II							SLA victory
Welioya			2	330			SLA victory
Battle of Elephant Pass (1st)	10 July 1991 – 9 August 1991	SLA camp, Elephant Pass, Kilinochchi District	202-400	573-1,000			SLA victory
Battle of Pooneryn	11 November 1993 – 12 November 1993	Pooneryn (Poonakari), Kilinochchi District	441	469			Both SLA & LTTE claimed the victory
Cease Fire 9 January 1995 – 19 April 1995
Eelam War III 19 April 1995 - December 2001
Operation Riviresa (Sun Rays) / Battle of Jaffna	17 October 1995 – 5 December 1995	Jaffna, Jaffna District	500	2,000			SLA victory
Battle of Mullaitivu (1st) (aka Operation Unceasing Waves)	18 July 1996 – 25 July 1996	Mullaitivu, Mullaitivu District	1,242	332			LTTE victory
Operation Sath Jaya	26 July 1996 – 3 October 1996	Elephant Pass and Kilinochchi	≈ 500	121			SLA victory
Vavunathivu Offensive	7 March 1997	SLA camp, Vavunathivu, Batticaloa District	75	103			LTTE victory
Operation Jayasikurui	13 May 1997 - 1999	Sri Lanka	1,350	3,614			SLA victory
* Thandikulam–Omanthai offensive	10 June 1997 – 25 June 1997	Thandikulam & Omanthai, Vavuniya District	700	165			LTTE victory
Battle of Kilinochchi (1st) (aka Operation Unceasing Waves II)	27 September 1998 – 29 September 1998	Kilinochchi, Kilinochchi District	443	520			LTTE victory
Operation Rana Gosa	4 March 1999 – ?	Northern Province, Sri Lanka					SLA victory
Oddusuddan Offensive	October 1999 – 2 November 1999	Oddusuddan, Mullaitivu District	800				LTTE victory
Battle for the A-9 highway	27 March 2000 – 20 April 2000	A-9 Highway, Kilinochchi District	203	317		50	LTTE victory
Battle of Elephant Pass (2nd) (aka Operation Unceasing Waves III)	22 April 2000 – 23 April 2000	SLA camp, Elephant Pass, Kilinochchi District	204	150			LTTE victory
Bandaranaike Airport attack	24 July 2001	Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, Gampaha District	7	14			Successful LTTE raid
Cease Fire December 2001 - 26 July 2006
Battle of Point Pedro	12 May 2006	Bay of Bengal near Point Pedro, Jaffna District	17	54			SLN victory
Eelam War IV 26 July 2006 – 18 May 2009
Battle of Jaffna	11 August 2006 – 29 October 2006	Jaffna Peninsula, Jaffna District	300	700-1,000			Stalemate
Battle of Sampur	28 August 2006 – 4 September 2006	Sampoor (Sampur), Trincomalee District	33	200			SLA victory
Attack on Galle Harbour	18 October 2006	Galle, Galle District	1	9		1	SLN victory
Battle of Thoppigala	25 April 2007 – 11 July 2007	Kudumbimalai (Thoppikkal), Batticaloa District	48	700-800			SLA victory
Battle of Point Pedro	19 June 2007	Bay of Bengal near Point Pedro, Jaffna District		40			SLN victory
Raid on Anuradhapura AFB	22 October 2007	SLAF Base, Anuradhapura, Anuradhapura District	14	20			Successful LTTE raid
Battle of Delft	25 December 2007	Palk Strait near Neduntheevu (Delft) island, Jaffna District		4-40			Disputed
Battle of Vidattaltivu	16 July 2008	Vidattaltivu, Mannar District	1	51			SLA victory
Battle of Kilinochchi (2nd)	23 November 2008 – 2 January 2009	Kilinochchi, Kilinochchi District					SLA victory
Battle of Mullaitivu (2nd)	2 January 2009 – 25 January 2009	Mullaitivu, Mullaitivu District					SLA victory
Battle of Elephant Pass (3rd)	9 January 2009	Elephant Pass					SLA victory
Battle of Chalai	2 February 2009 – 6 February 2009	Chalai, Mullaitivu District		12			SLA victory
Battle of Puthukkudiyirippu		Puthukkudiyirippu, Mullaitivu District					SLA victory
Truce 13 April 2009 – 15 April 2009
Final Battle of the Sri Lankan Civil War		Puthukkudiyirippu, Mullaitivu District					SLA victory
GOSL declares victory and end of the war 19 May 2009