In the context of the Sri Lankan Civil War, a massacre occurred in Mannar, where Sri Lankan Army soldiers killed between 107 and 150 civilians. This incident, one of several during the conflict, drew significant criticism from both local and international observers. The war primarily stemmed from long-standing ethnic tensions between the majority Sinhalese and the Tamil minority, and it saw various groups like the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighting for an independent Tamil state. The specifics of the Mannar killings revealed the brutality faced by Tamil civilians during military operations and highlighted the government's increasingly aggressive stance against the Tamil insurgency.

Civilians in Mannar were often caught in the crossfire as the conflict escalated, with the army carrying out operations to crush Tamil militancy. Reports of human rights abuses by Sri Lankan forces began to emerge, marking a turning point in the international community's perception of the Sri Lankan government. As news of the Mannar massacre spread, it intensified calls for accountability and intervention from various human rights organizations and foreign governments, shedding light on the devastating impact of the civil war on non-combatants and urging a reconsideration of military tactics derived from national security rationale.

The Mannar incident was reflective of broader patterns of violence against civilians that characterized the civil war and emphasized the urgent need for a political resolution to address the grievances of the Tamil people. It gestured towards the complex interplay of military strategy and humanitarian concerns in a conflict that would persist for nearly three decades, leading to a significant death toll and displacement.