After launching a campaign to regain the country from Elara, Dutthagamani captured a number of his strongholds before coming to the fortified city of Vijithapura.
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After these victories, Dutthagamani's army marched on to the "great fortress of Vijithapura".
After the ending of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, General Sarath Fonseka, the then commander of the Sri Lanka Army, compared several battles they fought to that of Vijithapura.