Jaffna Fort
With the onset of the Sri Lankan Civil War, it came under siege on several occasions and was the scene of pitched battles. From 1985 to 1995 it was under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE); during this time the LTTE destroyed several key features of the fort to stop the Army from gaining control due to the site being used to stage attacks, but it was recaptured by the Sri Lanka Army in 1995 after a 50-day siege during Operation Riviresa. It was also vandalised by locals to rebuild houses damaged from the war. Today it remains garrisoned by a detachment of the Sri Lanka Army with limited access to visitors and is being renovated with Dutch funding.
Buildings inside the fort include the governor's residence (King's House), Queen's House, Kruys Church, the Garrison Parade Ground, Police quarters and several buildings from the Portuguese era.
References
- ^ "Jaffna Fort". The Hindu. 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Sri Lanka fort: Out of the rubble". gulfnews.com. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "Travel to Jaffna". The Hindu. 11 November 2019.
External links