What is "mullaitivu"

Mullaitivu ( Mullaittīvu, ) is the main town of Mullaitivu District, situated on the north-eastern coast of Northern Province, Sri Lanka. A largely fishing settlement, the town in the early 20th century grew as an anchoring harbour of the small sailing vessels transporting goods between Colombo and Jaffna. The town has a District Secretary's office, many other government institutions and schools located in and around the area.

The town was an LTTE-controlled area, with the Tigers having a large military base in the town and has been the theatre of many battles fought since 1983 in the Sri Lankan Civil War against the Tamil Tigers. It was damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami with a large loss of life.

The Sri Lankan Army took control of the town on January 25, 2009, in the Battle of Mullaitivu in its offensive against the LTTE.