A striking monument in the centre of Kilinochchi town commemorating the army's capture of the LTTE's former capital in 2009.

Overview

The Kilinochchi War Memorial stands beside the A9 highway in the middle of town, a bold concrete monument depicting a fortress wall pierced by an artillery shell, with a lotus rising above it to symbolise rebirth and peace. Erected by the Sri Lankan military, it marks the recapture of Kilinochchi, once the LTTE's administrative capital, and has become the town's best-known landmark and a focal point for those exploring the modern history of the north.

History

The memorial was built and unveiled in 2010 to commemorate the Sri Lankan Army's capture of Kilinochchi on 2 January 2009, a decisive moment in the final phase of the civil war. Its imagery, a wall broken by a shell topped by a blooming lotus, was designed to represent the breaking of terrorism and the dawning of peace in the region.