Battle of Mullaitivu (1996)

Battle of Mullaitivu முல்லைத்தீவுச் சமர் මුලතිව් සටන
Part of Eelam War III and the Sri Lankan Civil War
Date 18–25 July 1996 Location Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka 09°15′N 80°49′E / 9.250°N 80.817°E / 9.250; 80.817 Result LTTE victory (see Aftermath section)
Belligerents
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam	Sri Lanka
Commanders and leaders
V. Prabhakaran Colonel Balraj[1][2] Colonel Soosai[3][4]	Anuruddha Ratwatte Rohan Daluwatte A. F. Lafir † T. R. A. Aliba (MIA) Raj Vijayasiri (WIA)
Units involved
Charles Anthony Brigade[5], Jeyanthan Brigade[6]	Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Special Forces Regiment, Commando Regiment, Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Gemunu Watch
Strength
~2000	1407 (Mullaitivu garrison)[7]~1000 (Relief force)[8]
Casualties and losses
315 dead, including 11 Sea Black Tigers (LTTE claimed)[9]	1498 dead[10][9][11]
Mullaitivu Military Base class=notpageimage| Location of base in Northern Province, Sri Lanka

The Battle of Mullaitivu (Tamil: முல்லைத்தீவுச் சமர், romanized: Mullaittīvup Pōr; Sinhala: මුලතිව් සටන Mulativ Saṭana), also known as the First Battle of Mullaitivu and codenamed Operation Unceasing Waves-1 (Tamil: ஓயாத அலைகள்-1 நடவடிக்கை, romanized: Ōyāta Alaikaḷ-1 Naṭavaṭikkai), was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers) and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for control of the military base in Mullaitivu in north-eastern Sri Lanka.

The base which contained an understrength infantry brigade was overrun by the LTTE on 18 July 1996, in the days that followed, a combined operation undertaken by all three armed forces failed the rescue the brigade as it had been completely destroyed by the time the relief force reached what was left of the installations of the 25 "Mullaitivu" Brigade, the Sri Lankan military abandoned the town of Mullaitivu, and control of much of Mullaitivu District, to the LTTE on 25 July 1996. Around 1,500 Sri Lankan troops were killed or unaccounted for (MIA) and large amounts of military equipment captured by the LTTE. 315 LTTE cadres were also killed.