1989 Temple of the Tooth attack
1989 Temple of the Tooth attack
The 1989 Temple of the Tooth attack refers to a terrorist assault that occurred on January 25, 1989, at the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This significant Buddhist shrine, believed to house a relic of the Buddha's tooth, was targeted by a group of armed militants associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The attack resulted in significant damage to the temple complex and heightened tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority in the context of Sri Lanka's ongoing civil war. The event marked a pivotal moment in the conflict, emphasizing the brutality of the LTTE's campaign and leading to increased military responses from the government. The incident remains a notable episode in Sri Lanka's turbulent history.