Battle of Chalai

Significance

The Battle of Chalai marked the fall of the last Sea Tiger base held by the LTTE during the Northern Theatre of Eelam War IV. The five-day engagement, concluded with the 55 Division taking control of the area, eliminated the LTTE's remaining naval infrastructure in the north at a critical stage of the war's final campaign. The loss of this base further compressed the operational capacity of the Tigers as Sri Lankan forces closed in during early 2009. The engagement also drew attention to the LTTE's use of a child, estimated between 13 and 16 years old, as a suicide bomber — an incident the Sri Lankan Army attributed directly to LTTE command and which witnesses suggested involved coercion or drugging of the child.

Commanders (5)