Battle of Pooneryn

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Pooneryn
partof=the Sri Lankan civil war


caption=
date=November 11, 1993 - November 12, 1993
place=Pooneryn, Sri Lanka
casus=
territory=
result=Tamil Tiger victory
combatant1=
combatant2= Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=441 killed , [ [http://www.sundaytimes.lk/961013/sitrep.html The Sunday Times Situation Report ] ] [ [http://www.independentsl.com/cgi-bin/newsscript1.cgi?record=2330 Remebering Battle for Pooneryn ] ]
200 missing [ [http://www.sundaytimes.lk/961013/sitrep.html The Sunday Times Situation Report ] ]
casualties2=469 killed Fact|date=July 2008
notes=

The Battle of Pooneryn was a battle fought on November 11, 1993 for the town of Pooneryn.

Background

The main target of the LTTE in the shorline offensive was the Sri Lankan government naval base at Pooneryn. The camp controlled the southern shore of the Jaffna lagoon and was being used as a command center for government forces preventing the Liberation Tigers from using the lagoon to supply the peninsula.

The Battle

On November 11, around two in the morning, the LTTE launched a massive attack from land and the lagoon simultaneously engaging the Nagathevanthurai naval base and the army defence lines in Pooneryn. The SLA troops were taken by surprise because they didn't expect the Tigers to come over the lagoon. It is now believed that prior to the attack, the LTTE had managed to infiltrate a group of spies through the Forward Defence Lines, who then overran the gun positions and the armour positions observing the Tiger movements. Robbed of accurate intelligence, the government soldiers had no idea how close the rebels had creeped up to the base.

Leading the Tiger forces was their second in command, Thamilselvan. He ordered his forces to attack without fear, but he himself was forced to withdraw several hours into the battle after a rocket fired by government forces hit near his positon, the resulting shrapnel seriously wounding him. The Tigers, however, were motivated and filled with zeal by the heroics of Thamilselvan and simply pressed the attack harder.

Heavy anti-aircraft fire was used by the Tigers to prevent any air support for the SLA. The Sri Lankan soldiers were so surprised by the attack that no organized resistance really existed. Most of the troops fighting back formed independent groups that broke down into even smaller groups as the battle progresed and in the end it was every man for himself. The SLA soldiers were fighting for their own survival. Elite Sri Lankan naval commandos rushed to the battle, arriving in an attempt to rally the shaken government forces.

First on the scene was Second Lieutenant K. W. T. Nissanka who was a platoon commander. He sacrificed his life so as to enable his troops to withdraw with some wounded. As his soldiers were withdrawing the wounded soldiers from the bunkers he removed the pins on two grenades and ran towards the enemy, the grenades exploded killing him and the attacking Tigers instantly. The commandos were unable to rally the defenders, however, and by dawn the next day large parts of the base were overrun, with the Sri Lankan government forces in full retreat. Some army units still managed to hold out in bunkers along the shore, covering the retreat of their comrades.

As a result of the attack, the Nagathevanthurai naval base was overrun and all craft were destroyed or taken over by the LTTE. The Tigers captured several naval gunboats, heavy mortars and two tanks though one was later destroyed in an air attack. Also large quantities of other arms and ammunition. It was reported that 200 soldiers were captured by the Tigers and then executed. Another 241 soldiers, including 8 officers were killed in the fighting itself. 469 LTTE fighters were killed. Up to 200 soldiers remained missing.

References