Kokavil is a village in Mullaitivu District

Mullaitivu District

Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...

, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

, also called Kokkavil. It is situated along A-9 road.

Massacre on Yal Devi

Troops were located parallel to A-9 Highway and old Murikandi-Kokavil Railway Station where LTTE massacre on "Yal Devi" passenger train was occurred. The Full packed Yal Devi train on its run 19 January 1985 was blasted by Tiger terrorists, triggering a landmine. Twenty-eight Army soldiers and eleven civilians lost their lives, and a total of twenty soldiers, five civilians and three Police Constables, suffered injuries due to this terrorist act. Nevertheless, the train driver, thanks to his presence of mind and bravery pushed all the injured into the carriage, connecting the diesel locomotive and speedily continued its journey, leaving all other twelve compartments behind, since the train remained disconnected as a result of the impact of the blast. However, the driver ensured all casualties were delivered to the nearest hospital at the next railway station, just a couple of minutes later. He still lives to relate his saga.

Military History

Kokavil is important due to various reasons. In 11 July 1990 Sri Lanka Army lost the Kokavil Army camp which guarded Rupavahini relay tower and Captain Saliya Upul Aladeniya

Saliya Upul Aladeniya

Captain Saliya Upul Aladeniya PWV, WWV, SLRS was the second recipient of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, highest war time award for valour of the Sri Lanka Military...

 sacrificed his life and been awarded the highest spirit in combat, the gallantry medal "Parama Weera Vibhushanaya

Parama Weera Vibhushanaya

Parama Weera Vibhushanaya , is the highest Sri Lankan military decoration equivalent to the British Victoria Cross , or the United States Medal of Honor, that's awarded as a reward for all ranks of the tri services individual acts of gallantry...

" (PWV) for his fight against Tiger terrorists

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...

 valiantly without reinforcements until his camp was destroyed by the terrorists. He received orders to abandon the camp, but he refused to do so as the majority of his troops were injured by then and while bullets are running low. He was the first to be nominated for this prestigious Parama Weera Vibhushanaya upon his supreme sacrifice and then Hasalaka Gamini

Gamini Kularatne

Corporal Gamini Kularatne PWV, SLSR , called the Hasalaka Hero , was a Sri Lankan soldier. He was the first recipient of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, the highest award for gallantry awarded by the Sri Lanka Army.- Early life :Gamini Kularatne was the second son of a family of four brothers and...

 awarded for his supreme sacrifice for save Elephant Pass camp in 14 July 1991.

Sri Lanka Army advanced towards the Kokavil town and captured the town on December 1, 2008 as part of Eelam War IV

Eelam War IV

Eelam War IV is the name given to the fourth phase of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries . Renewed hostilities began on the July 26, 2006 when Sri Lanka Air...

.