Kayts

Kayts
ஊர்காவற்துறை
කයිට්ස්
Kayts is located in Northern Province
Kayts
Kayts
Kayts is located in Sri Lanka
Kayts
Kayts
Coordinates: 9°40′0″N 79°52′0″E / 9.66667°N 79.86667°E / 9.66667; 79.86667
CountrySri Lanka
ProvinceNorthern
DistrictJaffna
DS DivisionIslands North

Kayts (Tamil: ஊர்காவற்துறை, romanized: Ūrkāvaṟtuṟai, Sinhala: කයිට්ස්, romanized: kayiṭs), is one of the important small island off the coast of the Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka.[1] There are a number of other villages within the Kayts Island such as Allaippiddi, Mankumpan, Velanai, Saravanai, Puliyankoodal, Suruvil, Naranthanai, Karampon and Melinchimunai.

Most of the people are Tamils. There are a number of Hindu temples as well as churches and a mosque. The island is also served by a dozen schools.

Since 1983 Kayts Island has also been the scene of violence as part of the Sri Lankan Civil War, including the Allaipiddy massacre.[2][3] On 8 August 1992, Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Commodore Mohan Jayamaha were killed along with several senior army and navy officers when their Land Rover hit a land mine off Araly Point in Kayts.[4]

  1. ^ "District Secretariat Jaffna_Divisional Secretariat Location and Map". ds.gov.lk. Gov of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2014-07-29.
  2. ^ K. T. Rajasingham (29 September 2001). "Sri Lanka: The Untold Story : Chapter 8: Pan Sinhalese board of ministers - A Sinhalese ploy". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 24 December 2001. Retrieved 1 November 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Special Report No.2". University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), Sri Lanka in association with Pax Christi (an international Catholic peacemaking movement). Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  4. ^ Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa, who led from the front