1996 in Sri Lanka

Decades:	1970s; 1980s; 1990s; 2000s; 2010s;
See also:	Other events of 1996; Timeline of Sri Lankan history;

The following lists events that happened during 1996 in Sri Lanka.

Incumbents edit

Governors edit

Central Province – E. L. Senanayake
North Central Province – Maithripala Senanayake
North Eastern Province – Gamini Fonseka
North Western Province – Hector Arawwawala
Sabaragamuwa Province – C. N. Saliya Mathew
Southern Province – Neville Kanakeratne
Uva Province – Ananda Dassanayake
Western Province – K. Vignarajah

Chief Ministers edit

Central Province – W. M. P. B. Dissanayake
North Central Province – G. D. Mahindasoma (until 2 May); Jayasena Dissanayake (starting 2 May)
North Western Province – Nimal Bandara
Sabaragamuwa Province – Jayatilake Podinilame
Southern Province – Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena
Uva Province – Percy Samaraweera
Western Province – Susil Premajayanth

Events edit

Sri Lankan Civil War
- Eelam War III
17 March – Sri Lanka wins the 1996 Cricket World Cup, beating Australia by 7 wickets, making this Sri Lanka's first ever World Cup victory.^[1]
18–25 July – The LTTE initiates Operation Unceasing Waves, following a series of losses in the Jaffna peninsula. The LTTE launches an attack on Mullaitivu. The Sri Lankan Army is defeated with 1,242 army soldiers dead, and hundreds captured and executed.^[2] It has also been reported that others were found dead with their corpses clutching onto white flags.^[3]
24 July – A train is bombed in Dehiwala, killing 42 and wounding 400. The LTTE was claimed responsible for the attack, placing suitcase bombs in four carriages on a commuter train.^[4]

Notes edit

a. ^{^} Gunaratna, Rohan. (1998). Pg.353, Sri Lanka's Ethnic Crisis and National Security, Colombo: South Asian Network on Conflict Research. ISBN 955-8093-00-9