Eelam War IV
Area Liberated Division/Task Force Date
Silawaturai 2 September 2007
Madhu church complex 57 Division 24 April 2008
Adampan town 58 Division 9 May 2008
Palampiddi Town 57 Division 16 May 2008
Mundumurippu Village 57 Division 23 May 2008
Munagam Base 59 Division 30 May 2008
Periyamadhu Village 57 Division 15 June 2008
Mullikkandal , Minnaniranchan and Marattikannaddi Villages 58 Division 24 June 2008
The Mannar Rice Bowl : Alankulama , Andankulama , Alakaddiveli , Parappakandal , Parappukadatan , Papamoddai , Odupallam , Neduvarampu , Kannaputtukulama and Vannakulama Villages 58 Division 29 June 2008
Uyilankulam 29 June 2008
Linked up with 57 Division - south west of Periyamadhu 58 Division 30 June 2008
Michael Base 59 Division 4 July 2008
Naddankandal Village 57 Division 11 July 2008
Navvi village Task Force 2 11 July 2008
Vidattaltivu Town 58 Division 16 July 2008
Iluppaikkadavai 20 July 2008
Suganthan camp 59 Division 27 July 2008
Illuppaikkadavai Town 58 Division 2 August 2008
Vellankulam Town , Mulankavil and Pallavarayankaddu areas 58 Division 12 August 2008
Kalvilan Village 57 Division 13 August 2008
Chronology of towns captured by the government of Sri Lanka
Eelam War IV is the name given to the fourth 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. The government's casus belli was that the LTTE had cut off the water supply to surrounding paddy fields in the area. Shutting down the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru on July 21 depriving the water to over 15,000 people - Sinhalese and Muslims settlers under Sri Lankan state-sponsored colonisation schemes in the tamil traditionnal homeland. They 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 rebel 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.