An army-run open-air war museum and adjoining Victory Monument at Puthukkudiyiruppu, displaying captured LTTE vehicles, weapons and vessels from the final phase of the civil war.

Overview

At Puthukkudiyiruppu the Sri Lanka Army maintains a war museum and Victory Monument commemorating the end of the civil war in 2009. The open-air grounds display captured LTTE tanks, artillery, boats and even a submarine, alongside the monument marking the conclusion of the Wanni operation. Guided by soldiers, the site draws domestic visitors curious about the conflict, and offers international travellers a sobering perspective on the war's final battles.

History

Puthukkudiyiruppu was among the last strongholds of the LTTE in early 2009. After the war ended in May 2009, the army assembled captured equipment here and erected a Victory Monument, opening the grounds as a war museum commemorating the government's Wanni Humanitarian Operation.