The king of Jaffna, Cankili I, managed to escape and regained the capital through a pact that he made with the Portuguese.
[1][2] The massacre of about 600 to 700 Christians in Mannar in 1544 by Cankili I[3] enraged Catholic priests, who complained to the Portuguese authorities in Goa.
[1] When Dom Constantino left Portugal in 1558, Queen Catherine instructed him to execute the king's order, which had been delayed for various reasons.
The forces consisted of 1,200 soldiers; that small number of troops was unfit to carry out the planned invasion.
The capital was located on an open plain and fortified by stones and sands, with some strong bastions provided with artillery and much infantry.