Battle of Pooneryn

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Battle of Pooneryn
Part of the Sri Lankan civil war
Date 11-14 November 1993 Location Pooneryn, Sri Lanka Result Tamil Tiger Victory
Belligerents
Military of Sri Lanka	Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Commanders and leaders
Lieutenant General Cecil Waidyaratne, Major General Rohan Daluwatte, Major T.T.R. de Silva	Bhanu, Theepan
Casualties and losses
SL Government claims[1][2]: 229 killed, 561 wounded, 92 missing	~500 killed (SL Government claims) 100+ killed (LTTE claims) [3]

The Battle of Pooneryn {LTTE code-named Operation Thavalai Paachchal(Frog Leap)}, was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers) and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for control of the military base in Pooneryn in northern Sri Lanka from 11 November to 14 November 1993.

The LTTE launched a surprise attack, code-named Operation Thavalai (Frog), on the government-controlled area of Pooneryn, overrunning the garrison and capturing military hardware before withdrawing against military reinforcements introduced through sea borne landings.^[4]

Background[]

Following the withdrawal of the Indian Peace Keeping Force, the Sri Lanka Army expanded its presence in the Pooneryn area establishing a permanent base in 1991 to counter LTTE movements across the Kilali lagoon from the Jaffna peninsula which was under its control. The Sri Lanka Navy deployed a detachment at Pooneryn to monitor and interdict LTTE movements in the Kilali lagoon.

The military base[]

By November 1993, the military base in Pooneryn with a naval detachment at Nagasivanthurei consisted of 55 officers and 2100 men.^[5] The army garrison at Poonaryn consisted of troops from the 1st Battalion, Sri Lanka Light Infantry and 3rd Battalion, Gajaba Regiment as well as two T-54A main battle tanks of the 4th Armoured Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. The navy had stationed five inshore patrol crafts at Nagasivanthurei.

LTTE preparations[]

The military bases in Pooneryn and Elephant Pass effectively blocked LTTE movements between Wanni and Jaffna. President D. B. Wijetunge's government increased the pressure on the LTTE. The LTTE began secretly planning an attack on Pooneryn, preparing for several months. On 24 September 1993, the military launched to eliminate LTTE boat landing sites around Kilali. The Ministry of Defense claimed 108 soldiers were killed in the operation and 350 LTTE carders were killed, LTTE confirmed only 96 of its carders were killed.^[5] Six weeks later the LTTE launched Operation Thavalai to destroy the isolated military base in Pooneryn and the detachment at Nagathevanthurai. Weapons captured from seized from Janakapura were put in to use.^[6]

Battle[]

Initial assault[]

On 11 November, around 2:00 a.m., the LTTE launched a massive attack from land and the lagoon with 600 cadres, simultaneously engaging the Nagathevanthurai naval detachment and the army defence lines in Pooneryn. LTTE leader Col. Bhanu led the assault on Nagathevanthurai, while Brig. Theepan led the assault on Pooneryn. The garrison was taken by surprise as it had not expected an amphibious assault from the lagoon. The LTTE infiltrated a specially trained group of cadres through the forward defence lines, with the mission of overrunning the mortar positions and the two T55 tanks. The infiltration groups were successful in capturing the mortar and armour positions in the initial phase of the assault. Within hours the forward lines were breached and the perimeter of the military base came under attack. The naval detachment was overrun and its installations including a radar station were destroyed. Heavy fire from LTTE anti-aircraft guns prevented air-support dispatched by the Sri Lanka Air Force. By dawn, large parts of the base were overrun, including the base armoury, which was emptied by the LTTE, who had also captured the two T55 tanks. The LTTE had planned to capture a tank in the battle.^[7] Some army units still managed to hold out in bunkers along the shore. Most of the troops fighting back formed independent groups. With the battalion headquarters of the 3rd Gajaba being overrun, the garrison lost contact with the Northern Command under Major General Rohan Daluwatte at the Palaly Military Base. Remaining units that regrouped around the battalion headquarters of the 1st Sri Lanka Light Infantry were able finally to contact the Elephant Pass Military Base.^{[5] [8]}

Massacre of prisoners[]

Following the fall of the main base, the military alleged that around 200 officers and soldiers who had surrendered to the LTTE by dawn were executed by the LTTE according to the Sri Lankan military.^[9]

Relief operation[]

Following the attack, the three service commanders flew to Palaly, setting up their operational joint headquarters there to plan relief for the besieged garrison. Due to heavy anti-aircraft fire from the LTTE, air support was difficult, with one SLAF aircraft being damaged due to anti-aircraft fire, but the pilot managed to land the aircraft at SLAF Palaly. Since it was not possible to air drop relief troops, plans were drawn up for an amphibious operation. With heavy resistance, the navy executed an amphibious landing on 14 November. With covering fire from Shanghai class fast gunboats, the newly formed Special Boat Squadron, led by Lieutenant Commander Ravindra Wijegunaratne carried out the initial landings from two inshore patrol craft securing a beachhead. This was followed with the landing of troops from the army. Troops broke out of the beachhead and linked up with surviving pockets of resistance from the original garrison. With the inflow reinforcements, the LTTE withdrew.^[10]

Aftermath[]

The LTTE withdrew by the evening of the 14 November and the army re-established its base in Pooneryn. The Army Commander Lieutenant General Cecil Waidyaratne and the Northern Area Commander Major General Rohan Daluwatte visited the base on 15 November 1993. Although the LTTE failed to hold on to the area it captured and was forced to withdraw, it had inflicted considerable damage to the military. The naval detachment at Nagathevanthurai was overrun, with all five inshore patrol crafts being lost as two were sunk and three were captured by the LTTE. The navy radar station was also destroyed. The LTTE had overrun the gun and armour placements, capturing a 120mm heavy mortar, 50mm guns and the two T55 tanks. The SLAF was able to destroy one of these tanks by an air strike shortly afterwards, but the other tank was used by the LTTE until the last days of the war when it was destroyed. Having captured the base armoury, the LTTE removed large quantities of other arms and ammunition, which it used for attacks it carried out thereafter. The military had suffered heavy casualties with local media reporting 241 soldiers, including eight officers, killed in the fighting, and another four officers and 396 soldiers missing in action, since presumed dead.^[2] The Ministry of Defence records 229 killed, 561 wounded and 92 missing^[1] The military claimed that over 500 LTTE cadres were killed, while the LTTE only acknowledged over 100 killed.^[3] The 3rd Gajaba had suffered 149 killed and 115 missing. Its second in command had been also killed, its remaining personal were transferred to Palay and reformed. Major T.T.R. de Silva of the 1st Sri Lanka Light Infantry was given a field promotion for preventing the complete fall of the garrison.^[11]

An army convened a court of inquiry into the incident, found shortcomings in the preparedness of the Pooneryn base to face such an attack, with over 600 of the troops stationed at the time being fresh recruits. General Waidyaratne accepted much of the blame and stepped down as Army Commander, retiring in December 1993.

In 1996 Second Lieutenant K. W. T. Nissanka was posthumously awarded the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya the highest decoration awarded by the Sri Lankan military. Badly wounded, Lieutenant Nissanka, commander of a platoon of the 3rd Battalion, Gajaba Regiment, which held the forward defence line till dawn, sacrificed himself to provide cover for the remainder of his platoon to withdraw with its wounded.^[12]

In mid 1996, the military withdrew its garrison from Pooneryn due to tactical reasons, leaving the LTTE to occupy the area and use it to launch attacks on Sri Lankan government controlled area in Jaffna, the Palali Airbase was subjected to artillery fire from Pooneryn.^[13]

In late 2008 the Sri Lanka Army launched a fresh offensive in the north of the island. The units of the Task Force 1 (58 Division) recaptured the Pooneryn area on 15 November 2008.^[13]

See also[]

• List of Sri Lankan Civil War battles
• Battle of Weli Oya (1995)
• Battle of Mullaitivu (1996)

References[]