The government claimed total control of the Eastern province after capturing Thoppigala (Baron's cap) on July 11, 2007, after nearly a year of fighting.
[2] The LTTE vowed to attack Sri Lanka's military and economic targets across the country to retaliate for the capture of the Eastern province from them.
These attacks prompted condemnation from SLMM Chief of Staff, who stated "(The government does) have the information that the LTTE has made this offer,"... "It is quite obvious they are not interested in water.
"[3] As the battle warmed up, the LTTE claimed that they opened the sluice gates "on humanitarian grounds" although this was disputed by military correspondents, who stated that the water began flowing immediately after the security forces carried out a precise bombing of the Mavil Oya anicut.
[8] Eventually, following heavy fighting with the rebels, government troops gained full control of the Mavil Oya reservoir on August 15.
Vakarai (Vaakare) is a coastal city in the Batticaloa (Madakalapuva) district where the LTTE had clamped their own civil administration and police for some time.
The area is ~800 square kilometres, with rocky mountains (Dimbulagala - Lahugala range), dense jungles and also ancient irrigation tanks.
During the period of June 8–9, 2007 Sri Lankan army captured 4 LTTE military bases at Ibbanvila, Akkarathivu, Mawadi-ode, and Veppanveli in Pankudavaella North, and Naarakmulla, South of the Thoppigala area.
[25] A fierce battle north of Narakamulla, in the Thoppigala area, on July 6, 2007, killed six Sri Lankan army personnel and injured seven, due to heavy mortar fire by the LTTE.
[27] The opposition leader of the Sri Lanka Parliament Ranil Wickremasinghe criticized the government for treating the capture of Thoppigala as a matter of national significance.
He stated at a public gathering at Galle, the capital of southern Sri Lanka, that Thoppigala is a jungle area larger than the district of Colombo, with no other significance.
The government of Sri Lanka commemorated the military defeat of the LTTE, in Eastern province of the country in the morning of July 19, 2007, called "New Dawn to the East ".
The government suggested hoisting the country's flag in every house and also lighting an oil lamp at auspicious time for the people who sacrificed their lives for the nation.
[29] President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the nation stated, "Let us bequeath to them a land where Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims can live together and smile as the children of one mother.
[30] Because of the clashes between LTTE and the Sri Lankan army at Eastern province there were around 35,000 people of 10,000 families internally displaced from Sampoor (Muthur), Seruvilla, Verugal (Echchalampattu) and Vakarai areas.
The period of heavy clashes happened from December 2006 to April 2007, many people left their homes and arrived in Sri Lankan government controlled areas.
[2] After the Sri Lankan military gained control in the eastern province, the political situation within the Tamil society there dramatically changed.
[36] The anti-rebel Asian Tribune claimed that Karuna stated, "When we left the LTTE on 3 March 2004 we decided to enter into the mainstream politics of Sri Lanka.