Special Operations.Com
Sri Lanka
Special Operations and Counterterrorist
Forces
Above photo of the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam - boat is LTTE Sea Tigers vessel.
Army Commando Regiments
Within one of the two Army Commando
Regiments there is a 140-man counterterrorist unit
that provides the primary CT response for Sri Lanka.
This unit was created in 1980 and is based in Ganemulla,
a suburb of Colombo. The units used 20 man teams which
are split into four 5-man assault units. They have
received training from Great Britain, India, Israel,
and Pakistan. Approximately 40 per cent of the Regiments
are airborne qualified. The two Commando Regiments
and two Special Forces Regiments are grouped into
an Independent Brigade under the command of a Brigadier
General. Approximately 40 percent of the two Commando
Regiments are airborne qualified, either in Pakistan
(training now discontinued), India or in Sri Lanka
itself. It may operate in conjunction with the little-known
Sri Lankan Special Boat Service, although this has
not been confirmed.
Special Task Force
The Special Task Force (STF) was formed in 1983 to
operate as a counterinsurgency force in the Batticaloa
region. It later assumed the CT mission and as the
most highly trained police organization would be the
lead unit whenever law enforcement forces react against
terrorists. The STF has a strength of over 1,000 men
that is split into units in Batticaloa and Amparia
Districts, with an additional unit based in Colombo.
They have received training from the British SAS as
well as the security forces of India.
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