The parties had multiple open water skirmishes over the duration of the war, the most notable clashes taking place in water corridor between Point Pedro (Jaffna) and Trincomalee city, as the Tigers were in control of the city at one point in the war and frequented the route to conduct attacks on Naval targets such as the bombing of SLNS Sooraya and SLNS Ranasuru.
[3] The battle began when the Sri Lankan Navy attempted to recover a patrol boat that had drifted out into Tiger controlled waters.
The Navy repelled the attack through the use of Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunships and the patrol boats dispatched initially.
The Sri Lankan government estimated rebel losses at 40 men killed and nine patrol boats destroyed.
[5] The following year in November 2008, chief petty officer K. G. Shantha was killed in action, after he rammed his arrow-class patrol boat against a suicide craft that had aimed to detonate when in proximity of a group of naval vessels off the shore of Point Pedro.