Battle of Pooneryn
The Battle of Pooneryn, was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 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, on the government-controlled area of Pooneryn, overrunning the garrison and capturing military hardware before withdrawing against military reinforcements introduced through sea borne landings.
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. 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 Operation Yal Devi 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. Six weeks later the LTTE launched Operation Thavalai to destroy the isolated military base in Pooneryn and the detachment at Nagasivanthurei. Weapons captured from seized from Janakapura were put in to use.Battle
Initial assault
On 11 November, around 2:00 a.m., the LTTE launched a massive attack from land and the lagoon with 600 carders, simultaneously engaging the Nagathevanthurai naval detachment and the army defense lines in Pooneryn. LTTE leader Bhanu led the assault on Nagathevanthurai, while Theepan lead 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 carders 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 armor positions in the initial phase of the assault. Within hours the forward lines were breached and perimeter of the military base came under attack. The naval detachment was overrun and its installations including a radar station were destroyed. The LTTE had moved anti-aircraft guns and heavy fire from these prevented air supported dispatched by the Sri Lanka Air Force. By dawn, large parts of the base were overrun including the base armory, which was emptied by the LTTE, who had also captured the two T55 tanks. 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 Regiment 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 to finally contact the Elephant Pass Military Base.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.Relief operation
Following the attack, the three service commanders flew to Palaly, setting up their operational joined headquarters there to plan relief 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 Squardron, lead 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.Aftermath
The LTTE withdrew evening of the 14 November and the army re-established its base in Poonaryn. 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 all five inshore patrol crafts were lost with two sunk and three captured by the LTTE. The navy radar station was also destroyed. The LTTE had overrun the gun and amour placements capturing a 120mm heavy mortar, 50m guns and the two T55 tanks. The SLAF was able to destroy one of these tanks by an air attack shortly, the other tank was used by the LTTE till the last days of the war. Having captured the base armory, 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 241 soldiers, including eight officers, were killed in the fighting and over 400 missing, over 500 were wounded. The military claimed that over 500 LTTE carders were killed, while the LTTE only acknowledged over 100 killed. The 3rd Gajaba Regiment 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.An army convened a court of inquiry into the incident, found shortcomings in the preparedness of the Poonaryn 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. Lieutenant Nissanka, a platoon commander of the 3rd Battalion, Gajaba Regiment; who's platoon was holding the forward defense line till drawn. Badly wounded, he sacrificed himself to provide cover for the remainder of his platoon to withdraw with its wounded.
In mid 1996, the military withdrew its garrison from Poonaryn 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 Poonaryn.
In late 2008 the Sri Lanka Army launched a fresh offensive in the north of the island. The units of the Task Force 1 recaptured Pooneryn area on 15 November 2008.