Fonseka and Karanagoda have been credited for defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a three-year-long military campaign starting July 2006.

On May 19, Rajapaksa announced that the LTTE has been totally defeated with the government troops killing almost all the top LTTE leaders and recapturing all the 15,000-sq km territory controlled by them.

More than 20,000 people were reportedly killed in the final days of the military offensive in the country. About 300,000 people have also been displaced and are taking shelter in several welfare villages.