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May 17 in Mullivaikkal
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On May 17, reports indicated extremely high civilian casualties, continued collapse of conditions inside the conflict zone, and failed efforts to facilitate surrender and evacuation under international supervision.
According to multiple sources, more than 3,000 civilians were reportedly killed within a 24-hour period, with an additional 25,000 critically injured and lacking access to medical treatment. The Commander of the LTTE Sea Tigers, Colonel Soosai, issued an audio message from Mullivaikkal in which ongoing shelling could be heard in the background. He described heavy casualties, mounting corpses, and civilians being prevented from leaving the area, stating that “the last hours are happening” as fighting intensified.
The LTTE international representative reiterated the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe, reporting that thousands of civilians had been killed in a single day and tens of thousands more were severely injured without access to medical care. The statement announced that the LTTE was prepared to cease fire and expressed willingness to halt hostilities in order to prioritise civilian survival, citing the failure of the international community to intervene as a contributing factor to continued mass casualties.
Controversy continued over the number of civilians still trapped in the conflict zone. Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa publicly stated that no civilians remained in the area. However, leaked United States diplomatic communications reported conflicting estimates from independent sources, including the Bishop of Mannar and Tamil political representatives, who estimated that between 60,000 and 100,000 civilians were still present in the conflict zone at that time.
Efforts to organise mediated surrender arrangements also failed to progress. Reports indicated that Tamil National Alliance representatives communicated that approximately 3,000 LTTE cadres and 22,000 civilians were prepared to surrender under international facilitation. However, discussions between United States diplomats and Sri Lankan officials, including presidential advisers, reportedly did not result in agreement. According to leaked diplomatic cables, requests for International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) involvement in surrender and evacuation were rejected, with senior Sri Lankan officials stating that the government would manage the situation independently and that negotiations were “beyond that now.”
Additional diplomatic communications confirmed that requests to evacuate wounded and deceased civilians through the ICRC were also denied. Presidential adviser Basil Rajapaksa reportedly refused such requests, stating that state authorities were capable of handling the situation without external assistance.
On the same day, President Mahinda Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka following the culmination of major military operations. He was formally received upon arrival by then acting Defence Minister Maithripala Sirisena, reflecting the government’s declaration that the military campaign was nearing completion.
Further internal communications reiterated ongoing surrender discussions, with reports that LTTE cadres and civilians continued to express willingness to surrender if safe passage and international mediation were guaranteed. However, no effective evacuation mechanism was implemented, and large numbers of civilians remained within the conflict zone under continuing military operations.
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