ORDER OF BATTLE // July 11, 2007
Battle of Thoppigala
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 2,200 estimated
Sri Lanka
1,200
Medium-confidence figure
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
1,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Thoppigala was fought between the Sri Lankan Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam over control of the Thoppigala peak, located 40 km northwest of Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka. The contest centered on a position that had been LTTE-dominated, making its capture a significant objective in the broader government effort to reduce Tamil Tiger control over the Eastern Province. Securing Thoppigala represented a push to dislodge the LTTE from a commanding geographic stronghold in the east, part of the Sri Lankan military's campaign to reclaim territory held by the organization during the civil war that had persisted since 1983.
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