The Sri Lankan military announced that the capture of Vakarai, a coastal town of eastern Batticaloa District on January 19, 2007. The military has accused the LTTE of using civilians in the Vakarai Hospital as a human shield and also using the hospital premises as an artillery launching pad.
The SLA s battle to take Vakarai (Vaakare) lasted nearly three months from October 30, 2006 to January 15, 2007. Vakarai is a coastal city in the Batticaloa District where the LTTE had clamped their civil administration and police for some time.
The military operation launched to gain the area of Vakarai from the LTTE was conducted in two phases. The first phase was to facilitate the movement of civilians into the area under the Sri Lankan Army (SLA). The Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the SLA infiltrated the area under the LTTE, and launched surprise attacks on them. This tactic caused the LTTE to engage with the SLA instead of holding the civilians (hostages) from fleeing into the SLA control zone.
The phase-II started on December 4, 2006 where the SLA troops advanced in three fronts from Trikonamadu, Kirimichchiya, Kadjuwatte and cleared off 15 km into the Trikonamadu jungle. During this action, the LTTE targets at Kaddamuravikulam, Karuvappanchenai and Madurankernikulam were destroyed. The second advance of SLA started on the December 9, 2006 from Mahindapura Southwards and captured LTTE camps around Echchalanpaththuwa area. The third and fourth advances of SLA started on the December 10, 2006 from Trikonamadu and KadjuwattaonwardsWith this turn of events, the Tiger cadres moved into Verugal, Varkarai and Kadiravelai. From there they attacked the Mahindapuram, Serunuwara, Somapura and Kallar Army camps with heavy arms.On October 29, 2006 the Tigers fired heavy artillery and mortars on SF and Infantry troops advancing from Welikanda and Poonani. Braving Tiger mines and booby traps, the troops managed to take Varkarai, Verugal and Pathichankerni by January 21, 2007. For the first time in the military history 152mm heavy arms among other weapons used by Tigers were found by the troops during these battles.
