Vavuniya is a town in northern Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. This town is situated in the Northern Province

Northern Province, Sri Lanka

The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

. Vavuniya was often referred to as the gateway to Vanni

Vanni (Sri Lanka)

The Vanni is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It covers the entirety of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of Kilinochchi District. It has an area of approximately 7,650 km2...

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Since the war is over most of the information concerning security in this article is inaccurate at this time February 2010

Ethnic conflict

Vavuniya used to be a front line

Front line

A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...

 town in the war

Sri Lankan civil war

The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...

 between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Army

Sri Lankan Army

The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is responsible for land-based military and humanitarian operations. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972...

 until the Army advanced northwards during the 2008 SLA Northern offensive. Clashes between different Tamil militant groups have resulted in instability in the city, and those from the south of Sri Lanka do not visit it often.

There are internal refugee

Refugee

A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...

s, and passes are needed to travel from government- to LTTE-controlled territory. The Sri Lankan Army is in constant patrol, and heavy security is apparent. This is due to the Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni

Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni

Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the southern part or the Wanni region of the Northern Province, this includes several divisions and the...

 being based in Vavuniya in close proximity to the Sri Lanka Air Force air base SLAF Vavuniya

SLAF Vavuniya

SLAF Vavuniya is a Sri Lanka Air Force station located in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. It forms part of the military complex in Vavuniya that includes the Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni....

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