The LTTE close sluice gates at Mavil Aru to provoke the government, an act which could develop into a full-scale war. Their ulterior motive was to send across a message to the international community that the government had breached the Ceasefire Agreement. The closure of the sluice gates at Mavil Aru on July 20, 2006 immediately resulted in about 30,000 people being deprived of their main source of drinking water. The continued closure later affected vast paddy tracts dependent on Mavil Aru waters. However, the Tigers turned a deaf ear to government requests and farmers protests and kept the gates closed. The government sought the help of the ceasefire facilitator Norway to resolve the deadlock without success. The LTTE refused to relent. LTTE intransigence left no alternative for the government, but to resort to military action to end the blockade of Mavil Aru. The government took momentous decision on July 27, 2006 to conducted the mission to secure the release of Mavil Aru from the Tiger hold
