LTTE attacks Muttur. Fighting displaces thousands of Muslims.
Timeline of events under "Eastern province" issue
LTTE is accused of closing the sluice gates of the Maavilaru dam in Trincomalee, denying water to thousands of farmers. Fighting ensues over control of the waterway.
Communal riots follow an explosion in a market in Trincomalee town. The bomb blast and the ensuing riots leave over 20 civilians dead, over 30 shops and 100 homes destroyed by fire and over 3,000 persons displaced and seeking refuge in schools and places of worship.
Tamil journalist working for the ‘Sudar Oli’ newspaper S. Sugirdharajan, is gunned down in Trincomalee. Sugirdharajan is the third Tamil journalist to have been killed in the past 12 months.
Joseph Pararajasingham, TNA parliamentarian, is assassinated while attending mass.
Members of Tamil and Sinhala communities clash in the East after a grenade attack on a bus leaves one person dead. LTTE denies carrying out the attack.
LTTE's eastern commander, known as 'Colonel Karuna', leads a split in the LTTE movement and goes underground with his supporters.
The LTTE invites displaced Sinhalese to return home: the LTTE Batticaloa district leadership invites displaced Sinhalese from the district to return to their home villages.
Thousands are displaced when the military forces launch a massive operation in the northern Vanni region for control of a key highway that would give it land access to the former LTTE stronghold of Jaffna. The operation is codenamed Jayasikuru or 'Victory Assured'.
The LTTE attacks at least two mosques in Kaththankudi, Batticoloa. The attacks took place while the prayers were being conducted. The twin attacks left an estimated 116 people dead.
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is established by M.H.N. Ashraff to represent the interests of predominantly rural, eastern Muslims.
First resettlement of Sinhalese settlers in the North East, under the Gal-Oya Scheme, commences.
