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Battle of Kanakarayankulam (1997)
Part of the Sri Lankan civil war Operation Jayasikurui
Date December 04, 1997 Location 9°3′2.47″N 80°30′53.77″E / 9.0506861°N 80.5149361°E / 9.0506861; 80.5149361 Kanakarayankulam, Mankulam Result Tamil Tiger victory
Belligerents
Military of Sri Lanka	Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Commanders and leaders
Srilal Weerasooriya Vasantha Perera Gamini Hettiaratchi N L Sirimanne †	Velupillai Prabhakaran Karuna Amman
Units involved
53rd Division Commando regiment Sinha regiment	Siruthai brigade (elite child brigade) Charles Anthony Brigade Kittu artillery brigade
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
154 killed 481 wounded 18 missing	LTTE claim: 35 killed SLA claim: ~200 killed

The Battle of Kanakarayankulam was fought on 4 December 1997, during the Sri Lankan civil war between the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It is known as the "worst-ever commando debacle" in Sri Lankan military history.

Initial operations

This battle was a part of operation Jayasikurui a Sri Lankan military offensive during the Eelam war III. It commenced on 13 May 1997 in order to open a land route to the government-held Jaffna peninsula through Vanni territory held by the LTTE, by linking the government-held towns of Vavuniya and Kilinochchi. Despite heavy resistance, Sri Lankan military, led by elite 53rd division, managed to capture the Puliyankulam town on 15 November 1997.

Events of December 4, 1997

Meanwhile, intelligence reports indicated a LTTE build up near Mankulam (north of Puliyankulam), and reconnaissance by UAV detected three fortified LTTE bases with supporting artillery and mortar positions. On 4 December 1997, elements of Sinha regiment and commando regiment attached to 53rd division, advanced in two columns from Puthur (north west of Puliyankulam). They advanced towards Mankulam and Kankarayankulam in a pincer movement and met with little resistance. However they soon ran into an ambush laid by the Siruthai brigade (Leopard brigade), an elite child brigade of the LTTE. The LTTE bases were dummy ones and the commandos of 2nd commando regiment who were tasked to neutralize the artillery position was surrounded and overwhelmed.

SLA losses included the commanding officer of the commando unit, major Nilantha Lakmal Sirimanne, as well as 6 other officers killed and 30 wounded. In addition, 148 regular soldiers were killed, 451 were wounded and 18 were classified as missing in action. The LTTE claimed to have lost 35 soldiers killed while the SLA claimed to have killed around 200. Captain G. S. Jayanath of the 2nd commando regiment posthumously received the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya for gallantry in his actions during the battle.

References

1. "Situation Report". Iqbal Athas. The Sundaytimes. 14 December 1997. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
2. ^ "Situation Report". Iqbal Athas. The Sundaytimes. 7 December 1997. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
3. ^ "An operation drags on, LTTE inflicts heavy losses on the Sri Lankan Army in the high-casualty war in the Wanni region". Frontline. The Hindu. 13 November 1997. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
4. "OP JAYASIKURU". Sri Lanka Army. Defence Ministry, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
5. "Mahinda liberated only a corner east of A9 - CBK". Shamindra Ferdinando. Defence Ministry, Sri Lanka. 29 December 2014. Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
6. "The army in serious trouble,War on terror revisited". The Island. UPALI NEWSPAPERS (PVT) LTD. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
7. "Situation Report". Iqbal Athas. The Sundaytimes. 23 November 1997. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
8. Dissanayaka, T.D.S.A. (2005). War Or Peace in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka: Popular Prakashan. p. 183. ISBN 8179911993.
9. "Commandos and 'Tigers' in pitched battle for highway". The Sundaytimes. 7 November 1997. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
10. Singer, Peter Warren (2006). Children at War. University of California Press. p. 87. ISBN 9780520248762.
11. "UN removes SL from 'child and armed conflict' list". Shenali Waduge. Ceylon Today. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
12. ^ "Blood Is Their Medal The Men Of The Parama Weera Vibushanaya". David Blacker. The Sunday Leader. Retrieved 2 June 2015.

External links

• Worst-ever commando debacle, by Iqbal Athas

v t e Sri Lankan civil war (1983–2009)
Origins	Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism Sinhala Only Act 1956 1958 Vaddukoddai Resolution 1977 1981 Burning of Jaffna Library Black July
Combatants	Sri Lanka Army (LRRP) Navy Air Force Police Special Task Force Home Guards Attacks on civilians Assassinations LTTE Divisions Air Tigers Sea Tigers Black Tigers Attacks in the 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Assassinations Suicide bombings Other militants (list) ENDLF ENLF EPRLF EROS PLOTE TELO  India Indian Peace Keeping Force Paramilitary groups EPDP TMVP
Phases	Eelam War I Indian intervention Eelam War II III IV Eastern / Northern theatres
Major battles	Kokkilai Vadamarachchi Poomalai Pawan Jaffna University Helidrop Balavegaya 1st Elephant Pass Pooneryn Riviresa 1st Mullaitivu Weli Oya Sath Jaya Vavunathivu Jayasikurui Thandikulam–Omanthai 1st Kilinochchi Oddusuddan A-9 highway 2nd Elephant Pass Bandaranaike Airport attack Point Pedro Jaffna Thoppigala Vidattaltivu 2nd Kilinochchi 2nd Mullaitivu Puthukkudiyirippu
Major events	Air Lanka Flight 512 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Expulsions from Northern province Assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi Assassination of Ranasinghe Premadasa Temple of the Tooth attack Lionair Flight 602 Bandaranaike Airport attack Expulsions from Colombo 2009 suicide air raid on Colombo
Leaders	Sri Lanka Military Army Tissa Weeratunga Nalin Seneviratne Hamilton Wanasinghe Cecil Waidyaratne G. H. De Silva Rohan Daluwatte Srilal Weerasooriya L. P. Balagalle Shantha Kottegoda Sarath Fonseka Navy Asoka de Silva H. A. Silva Clancy Fernando D. A. M. R. Samarasekara H. C. A. C. Thisera Daya Sandagiri Wasantha Karannagoda Air Force Dick Perera Andibuduge Fernando Makalandage Gunawardena Oliver Ranasinghe Jayalath Weerakkody Donald Perera Roshan Goonetileke Civilian J. R. Jayewardene Ranasinghe Premadasa Dingiri Banda Wijetunga Chandrika Kumaratunga Mahinda Rajapaksa LTTE Militant Velupillai Prabhakaran Pottu Amman Soosai Karuna Amman Political Selvarasa Pathmanathan Anton Balasingham S. P. Thamilselvan India Military Harkirat Singh Ashok K. Mehta Kulwant Singh Depinder Singh Dalvir Singh Krishnaswamy Sundarji Civilian R. Venkataraman Rajiv Gandhi V. P. Singh Jyotindra Nath Dixit J. Jayalalithaa M. Karunanidhi Vaiko
Aftermath	Genocide Films NPC resolution LLRC Reactions (Protests) Remembrance Day UN Panel on Accountability War crimes Chemical weapons
Related topics	Casualties Assassinations Massacres Child soldiers Disappearances Office on Missing Persons Human rights Popular culture Terrorism Non-state State PTA Sexual violence Sixth Amendment Thirteenth Amendment Women 1988 Maldives coup attempt 1987–1989 JVP insurrection
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v t e Major armed conflicts involving  Sri Lanka
Domestic	Kotte conquest of the Jaffna kingdom 1971 JVP insurrection 1987–1989 JVP insurrection Sri Lankan civil war
Foreign	Battle of Vijithapura Anuradhapura invasion of Pandya Chola conquest of Anuradhapura Polonnaruwa–Pagan War 1173 Polonnaruwa invasion of Chola Pandyan Civil War Malay invasions of Sri Lanka Ming–Kotte War Sinhalese–Portuguese conflicts Siege of Kotte Battle of Mulleriyawa Campaign of Danture Dutch–Portuguese War Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom 1560 1591 First Kandyan–Dutch War Second Kandyan–Dutch War Kandyan Wars Great Rebellion of 1817–1818 Matale rebellion Second Boer War World War I World War II Easter Sunday Raid Cocos Islands mutiny Operation Prosperity Guardian
Peacekeeping	United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
Related articles	Military history Ceylon in World War II

• 1997 in Sri Lanka
• Battles of Eelam War III
• Conflicts in 1997
• December 1997 events in Sri Lanka