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{{more citations needed|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Kokavil
| partof = the [[Sri Lankan Civil War]]
| image =
| caption =
| date = 27 June - 11 July 1990
| place = [[Kokavil]], [[Sri Lanka]]
| casus =
| territory =
| result = Tamil Tiger victory
| combatant1 = [[Image:Coat of arms of Sri Lanka.svg|18px]] [[Military of Sri Lanka]]
| combatant2 = [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]]
| commander1 = Lieutenant [[Saliya Aladeniya]] {{KIA}}
| commander2 =
| strength1 = 54 <ref name="ST1"/><ref>[https://alt.army.lk/slsr/3slsr_2 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment]</ref>
| strength2 = Unknown
| casualties1 = 48 killed, 18 wounded<ref name="MoD1">{{cite book |title=Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 – May 2009 |publisher=Ministry Of Defence Democratic Socialist Republic Of Sri Lanka |url=http://slembassyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Sri-Lankan-Humanitarian-Operation-Factual-Analysis.pdf |access-date=9 September 2021}}</ref>
| casualties2 = Unknown
}}
{{Campaignbox Eelam War II}}
{{Campaignbox Sri Lankan Civil War}}

The '''Battle of Kokavil''' was fought from 27 June to 11 July 1990 in [[Kokavil]], [[Sri Lanka]]. The Sri Lankan military camp at Kokavil was put to siege by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for 14 days before they captured it. Of the 54 Sri Lankan Army soldiers stationed in the base at the time, only 2 and a civilian cook reached friendly lines after the battle, with all others having been presumably killed by the LTTE.

==Background==
Following the resumption of hostilities after the withdrawal of the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]], the [[Eelam War II]] of the [[Sri Lankan Civil War]] started in June 1990. In early June 1990, LTTE militants attacked SLA forces in the area of [[Maankulam (Sri Lanka)|Mankulam]]. These initial attacks were repulsed but by June 12, both Mankulam and Kokavil were surrounded. On the 11 June 1990, the Sri Lankan government ordered over 600 police officers to surrender to the LTTE after their police stations were surrounded, [[1990 massacre of Sri Lankan Police officers|who were then massacred]].<ref name="ST1">{{cite web|url=http://sundaytimes.lk/001001/plus4.html|title=The Sunday Times Plus Section|publisher=Sundaytimes.lk|accessdate=6 October 2014}}</ref>

The Army has established an encampment in Kokavil to protect the [[Kokavil transmission tower|Rupavahini Relay Station]] and facilities located there. The A Company, 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion of the [[Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment]] was deployed in Mankulam and Kokavil. It had assigned 54 men to Kokavil while the remaining army personal at Kokavil came from the 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, [[Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment]]; [[Sri Lanka Signals Corps]]; [[Sri Lanka Army Service Corps]]; and the [[Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps]].<ref name="Munasinghe">{{cite book |last1=[[Sarath Munasinghe]] |first1= |title=A Soldier's Version |date=2000 |location=Colombo |isbn=955-97130-0-0 |pages=154-156}}</ref> With the detachment at Kokavil under the command of [[Lieutenant]] [[Saliya Upul Aladeniya|Saliya Aladeniya]]. On June 16 a ceasefire was declared so negotiations can take place. Shortly after this sixteen soldiers and an officer, from the detachment left on leave leaving one officer and 53 soldiers at the camp who were [[reservists]] from a [[Volunteer Force|volunteer battalion]].<ref name="ST1"/><ref>[https://alt.army.lk/slsr/3slsr_2 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment]</ref>

== Battle ==
On June 27, the LTTE surrounded the camp for 14 days and began staging attacks on the camp constantly. Medicine, food and water for SLA forces were in short supply. Supplies had to be dropped by helicopters, however, because of heavy LTTE fire, the supplies had to be dropped from high above the camp, causing much of it to land off course outside the perimeter of the camp where it was lost.<ref name="ST1"/>

The final attack began on July 10, when the LTTE started building up forces around the camp. Reinforcements and resupply for the soldiers at the camp were not able to arrive because all routes were blocked by LTTE forces. The SLA soldiers in the camp were left with only 300 rounds of ammunition, and only some 30 soldiers were still alive, half of whom were seriously wounded. The SLA commanding officer, Lieutenant Aladeniya, was given the order to evacuate, but refused because he did not want to leave his wounded. At 11:45 p.m., on the 11th of July, the LTTE finally overran the camp.<ref name="ST1"/>

== Aftermath ==
52 SLA officers and soldiers were declared missing in action by the Sri Lankan Army as the SLA could not reach the location to verify their statuses. Defense ministry official indicate 48 killed and 18 wounded.<ref name="MoD1"/> The LTTE destroyed the relay station and tower. Lieutenant [[Saliya Aladeniya]] was posthumously promoted to rank of [[Captain (land and air)|captain]] and honoured with the [[Parama Weera Vibhushanaya]] for bravery on 21 June 1994.<ref name="ST1"/> Corporal Siriwardena of the 3(V)SLSR and Corporal Nimal Siriwardena of the 2(V)VIR had escaped the camp and reported to the Mankulam army camp, as well as a civilian mess waiter named Dayananda, who managed to escape just as the camp was overrun, reportedly seeing nine wounded soldiers being thrown into the burning buildings by the LTTE after the LTTE set alight to the buildings after overrunning the camp.<ref name="Munasinghe"/>

Kokavil was recaptured by troops from the [[57 Division (Sri Lanka)|57 Division]] in October 2008 during the [[Battle of Kilinochchi (2008–2009)]].<ref name="adampan&kokavil">{{cite news|title=Army claims Kokavil also captured |work=Daily Mirror |location=UK |date=2 December 2008 |accessdate=11 January 2009 |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=33925 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528015707/http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=33925 |archivedate=28 May 2009 }}</ref> The [[Kokavil transmission tower]] was rebuilt along with a memorial for the 52 soldiers of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment who were lost in the battle.<ref>[http://www.srilankatravelnotes.com/KILINOCHCHI/KOKAVILMEMORIAL/KokavilWarMemorial.html Kokavil Tower and War Memorial]</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Sri Lankan Civil War battles]]
*[[1990 Batticaloa massacre]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord missing|Sri Lanka}}

[[Category:Battles of Eelam War II|Kokavil]]
[[Category:1990 in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:July 1990 events in Asia]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Civil War prisoner of war massacres]]
[[Category:Indian Peace Keeping Force]]

Battle of Kokavil - Revision history

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