Eight persons including a six-month old infant were killed at Allaipiddy on Kayts Island on 13 May 2006. A short distance away, four other murders were committed on the same night. The Kayts Island is connected to the mainland Jaffna Peninsula by a causeway which is about a quarter mile in length. Kayts and the adjoining islands are controlled by the Sri Lanka Navy which has a heavy presence with a large camp on the beach side of Allaipiddy, several mini camps and sentry points. The interior of the island is a stronghold of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), which works in collaboration with the Sri Lankan security forces.