Elephant Pass controls access to the Jaffna Peninsula. It has thus regularly been the site of battles during the civil war. It is very crucial as it is on the isthmus connecting the peninsula to the Sri Lankan mainland, as well as to territory in the Southern Jaffna peninsula. Elephant Pass connects the militarily significant town of Chavakacheri in the Jaffna peninsula to the Sri Lankan mainland. Elephant pass has been the defence base since 1760 Portuguese rule and a military base was built there in 1952 and the Elephant pass was in Sri Lankan Army control till 2000 despite repeated attempts by the LTTE to capture it in 1991 (see First Battle of Elephant Pass) the LTTE suffered heavy losses while trying to capture the Elephant pass. However the Sri Lankan Army lost control of the Elephant Pass to the LTTE on April 22, 2000 after a major military loss in the Second Battle of Elephant Pass.. The victory of Elephant Pass is considered as a great victory ever in the history of LTTE in its struggle for the separate homeland, Tamil Eeelam.

See also

• Place names in Sri Lanka

References