It occurred on 7 March 1997 in which the LTTE militants attacked and overran the Sri Lanka Army military camp at Vavunathivu off Batticaloa.

Few days prior the LTTE began detaining vehicles going to Paduvankarai and the Ministry of Defence instructed all military positions in the district to be on full alert.

A large force of around 500 LTTE militants attacked in the early hours of 7 March taking control of the western half of the Valaiyiravu bridge and all defensive bunkers approach path from Vavunathivu junction.

He was able to hold out until reinforcement under Major Saman Wedagama reaching the besieged camp by boat with the support of Mi-24 helicopter gunships the next day and the LTTE withdrew.

Reinforcements from the brigade headquarters had been delayed as the LTTE shelled it with 81mm mortars on the Buffalo island and by a Black Tigers infiltration of the SLAF China Bay which left a Harbin Y-12 destroyed.