Battle of Thoppigala The Battle of Thoppigala was a battle between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE ) fought during a period of the first half of 2007 over control of the LTTE - dominated peak of Thoppigala ( also known as " Baron ' s Cap " ) , located 40 km northwest of Batticaloa , in eastern Sri Lanka . Background . Thoppigala , also known as Baron ' s Cap and Kudumbimalai , is a large rock standing at above sea level . The rock is surrounded by thick jungle and rocky terrain , and has a number of natural caves . When the Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF ) was active in the country during the period of 1987 – 1990 , they had carried out operations in the Thoppigala area to find LTTE cadres hiding there . However , General A . S . Kalkat , the then commander of the IPKF , later said that they had made no attempt to capture the area since it had been of no military significance to them . During 1993 , the Sri Lankan military conducted operations in the East to evict the LTTE from the region . Military bases were established in and around Thoppigala during these operations . With the start of Eelam War IV , the Sri Lankan military started a campaign to capture the Eastern Province from the LTTE . The Sri Lanka Army captured the town of Sampur and surrounding areas on 3 September 2006 , followed by the capture of Vakarai on 19 January 2007 . The Police Special Task Force launched an operation code named " Definite Victory , through which the Sri Lankan military captured several LTTE bases . The LTTE was eventually restricted to the Thoppigala area , which had become its last stronghold in the Eastern Province , by 11 April 2007 . One of the largest LTTE bases in the eastern province was located in the Thoppigala area . Preparations . On 27 February 2007 , the LTTE launched an artillery attack on Batticaloa targeting two helicopters carrying foreign diplomats . The ambassadors of the United States , Italy and Germany were injured in this incident . The LTTE later announced that they were not aware of the diplomats arriving at Batticaloa , and accused the government of not informing them . The LTTE also accused that the Sri Lankan military had used the targeted location to launch provocative artillery attacks earlier on the same day . In response to this , a government spokesman said that " Everyone knew that foreign diplomats were visiting the area today " . The Sri Lanka Air Force later bombed the Thoppigala area , which the military said was used to organize the attacks . Thoppigala was isolated and cut off from reinforcements after the Sri Lanka Army captured several LTTE bases around it . The army captured the Unnachchi tank , LTTE bases at Vavunathivu and Kohombagasthalawa , of the A5 road and the road leading to Thoppigala by 11 April 2007 . The Sri Lanka Army announced that they had launched a military operation to capture Thoppigala on 14 April 2007 . LRRP units from the Army Commando Regiment were used extensively in this operation , making it the first operation in the civil war where such deep penetration units were used in a large scale . Four eight member teams from the Zulu Company of the 3 Commando Regiment were deployed to eliminate LTTE leaders and disrupt supplies and communications . The SLA estimated around 1 , 000 LTTE cadres were fighting in the area in a network of trenches and tunnels . During the period of 8 – 9 June 2007 , Sri Lankan army captured 4 LTTE military bases at Ibbanvila , Akkarathivu ( Egodadoova ) , Mawadi - ode ( Mahavaedi - oda ) , and Veppanveli ( Kohomba - vaella ) in Pankudavaella North , and Naarakmulla , South of the Thoppigala area . During the confrontation , around 30 LTTE cadres and 1 SLA personnel died . The SLA captured 6 Multi Purpose Machine Guns ( MPMG ) , 21 T - 56 assault riffles , 4 Rocket Propelled Grenade ( RPG ) launchers , and a large quantity of Anti Personnel ( AP ) mines and Ammunitions . On 19 June 2007 , 3 LTTE satellite camps East of Narakkamulla in the Thoppigala area were completely destroyed by the SLA . As per military sources around 25 - 30 LTTE were killed and a large quantity of anti - personnel mines ( APM ' s ) and other military quipment were captured . Battle . Fierce fighting erupted between the LTTE and the SLA at the final forward defence line ( FDL ) of LTTE , at their Beirut complex in Narakamulla , Thoppigala area between 22 – 24 June 2007 . The FDL was fortified with 6 bunker lines and 3 minor camps . The LTTE did not vacate their positions due to SLA ' s heavy barrage of artillery and tank gun fire . Finally , around 50 SLA commando ' s infiltrated the LTTE bunkers and killed 30 of them . Three LTTE cadres committed suicide . This series of events turned the tide of the battle of Thoppogala against the LTTE . The fierce battle North of Narakamulla , in the Thoppigala area on 6 July 2007 morning , killed 6 Sri Lankan army personnel including an officer called Colonel Samantha Ranathunga , and injured 7 , due to heavy mortar fire by the LTTE . The Sri Lankan military retaliated with artillery and aerial bombardment to control the situation . After 13 years , the Sri Lankan military captured the final stronghold of LTTE in the East , Thoppigala ( Baron ' s Cap ) , on the morning of 11 July 2007 , nearly after a year of military action . According to the country ' s military history , the Indian Peace Keeping Force ( IPKF ) , with around 20 , 000 soldiers attacked this area in the year 1988 but failed to capture the area ( at that time LTTE was led by Colonel Karuna ) . In 1994 the SLA withdrew their military bases from this area . Aftermath . The entire Eastern Province was captured by the Sri Lankan military following the capture of Thoppigala . The military launched a campaign with focusing on the aim of capturing the Northern Province after the Eastern Province was captured . Demining operations were carried out with the aid of foreign governments and Non - governmental organizations , and are currently in their final phases .