The killing of 26 Tamil civilians, including 9 children, by Sri Lankan Army soldiers in 1996 marked one of the war's most documented atrocities against non-combatants.
Key Facts
- Civilians killed
- 26
- Victims who were children
- 9 (under age 12)
- Victims who were women
- 13
- Civilians injured
- 28
- Court acquittal date
- 27 July 2016
- Court case initiated
- 2004
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Armed conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebel groups resumed in April 1995, intensifying military operations in the eastern Trincomalee district. The volatile environment and breakdown of a ceasefire created conditions in which civilian communities in the area were exposed to lethal violence from military personnel.
On 11 February 1996, Sri Lankan Army soldiers killed 26 Tamil civilians in the village of Kumarapuram in Trincomalee district. Among the dead were 13 women and 9 children under the age of 12. An additional 28 civilians sustained severe injuries in the attack, making it one of the most deadly incidents against Tamil non-combatants since the conflict resumed.
The Sri Lankan government arrested a number of soldiers and home guards implicated in the massacre, and criminal proceedings were initiated in 2004. After more than two decades of legal process, six former Army Corporals accused of carrying out the killings were acquitted on 27 July 2016, a verdict that drew criticism from those seeking accountability for wartime atrocities against Tamil civilians.