Commandos:

Elite Guardians of the Nation

Rajmi Manatunga

Date: August 14, 2006.
Time: 1.03 p.m.

The High Commissioner’s car. Wreckage of the three wheeler. The damaged Land Rover. Another damaged vehicle. Front side of the Land Rover. Pix by Dudley Wickremesinghe , and Saman Sri Wedage

A Mercedes Benz E240 bearing the no. 98-9217, with the Pakistan flag and a DPL sticker in front was speeding along Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Kullupitiya. In the car was the Pakistan High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Bashir Wali Mohmand accompanied by his wife and daughter, travelling to a meeting with a friend at the Galadari Hotel.

Just as the High Commissioner's car and its convoy were reaching the Kollupitiya junction, two claymore mines carefully hidden in a three-wheeler parked on a by-lane, went off with a deafening blast. There was no doubt as to whom the claymores were aimed at. But the LTTE missed its target. Not only were the Pakistani High Commissioner and his family alive, but they had also managed to escape the close encounter with death without even a scratch.

Yet, as the first ever assassination attempt by the LTTE on a diplomat went down in history as a failure, four brave men from the Commando Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army sacrificed their lives in protecting the lives of the envoy and his family.

The four Commandos responsible for the High Commissioner's security were travelling in a Land Rover behind the envoy's car when it was reaching the Kollupitiya junction. But whenever a by-lane is ahead, the convoy would always speed up and cover the VIP's vehicle, to protect him from possible attacks that could come from the direction of the by-lane.

It was the same routine that was followed when the HC's car was passing the by-lane on Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha that day. Accordingly, when the bomb-stuffed three-wheeler was exploded using a remote-control device, the HC's convoy travelling in the Land Rover covered his car, taking the full brunt of the explosion.

The Land Rover which was ripped off by the blast, crashed on to a nearby wall killing four Commandos. Another commando travelling in the Land Rover was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital with critical injuries. But their bravery and timely action foiled the terrorist plot to assassinate the HC, whose car suffered only minor damage and a shattered windscreen.

Last week's failed attempt on the life of the Pakistan HC is not the only instance where Commandos have put their own lives in jeopardy to protect the lives of a national leader or a foreign dignitary. From its very inception in 1979, members of the Commando Regiment have sacrificed their lives to protect Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers and other national leaders from armed attacks, suicide bombings and various other acts of terrorism, which have plagued this country for nearly two decades.

In fact, selflessly defending the life of the protected, even if it requires serving as a human shield, is the principal task expected from a Commando, which explains why they are called 'bullet catchers' in military jargon.

The Commando Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army was established 25 years ago for a purpose that was functionally different from that of other infantry regiments. Unlike its fellow regiments, the main role of Commandos is not at the operational level, but at the strategic level.

Their principal duty is to protect the strategic command of the country who design and decide the future of the nation and are therefore under constant threats from the enemy. The security provided to the strategic command in Sri Lanka is two-fold.

While the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) of the Police Department ensures the security of VIPs, security for VVIPs or the category of persons facing the highest threat level, is provided by the Commandos and the Special Task Force (STF), in addition to the MSD.

In the past 25 years, a large number of Commandos have sacrificed their life and limb in protecting the strategic command and thus preventing the enemy from creating anarchy in the country.

Among the recent incidents which amply demonstrated their unparalleled courage and commitment are last week's failed assassination attempt on the Pakistan High Commissioner, the abortive suicide bid on the Army Commander and the failed LTTE suicide attack on President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in 1999 where a number of Commandos were killed.

However, the role of the Commando Regiment has over the years extended well beyond VVIP security. With their exceptional skills and resilience resulting from an arduous period of training, Commandos play a pivotal role in the battlefield as a specialised elite infantry.

Often, a single group of six or seven Commandos is believed to be capable of energising and motivating an entire battalion of 300 soldiers. They have also been credited for achieving the breakthrough in most combat operations carried out by the Sri Lankan Army.

Among the leading military operations in recent history in which the contribution of the Commandos was crucial, was the Sri Lanka Army's mission to recapture Mankulam, a central point on the Jaffna-Kandy A9 road. In the celebrated operation conducted in 1998, the Commandos played a vital role in getting hold of a railway bridge on the road to Mankulam, which was a longstanding stronghold of the LTTE.

After days of fierce fighting, the Commandos were able to eliminate the LTTE Forward Defense Line, gain control of the bridge and hoist the Sri Lankan flag in Mankulam again.

Another operation of equal importance was the mission to recapture Jaffna in 1995 where the contribution of the Commandos was immense.

Apart from combat operations in the North-East, the Commandos have also been instrumental in ensuring the security of the Capital and suppressing terrorist attacks on its commercial centres. The clearance operations carried out by the regiment during the terrorist attack on the Bandaranaike International Airport in 2001 and when LTTE cadres entered the Lake House building in 1997 are significant in this respect.

The making of a Commando is a challenging and painstaking process. A person who wishes to be a Commando has to undergo 35-40 days of special training in addition to the general eight weeks military training given to all Army personnel, to be eligible to join the elite force. On the completion of the special training, the selected are sent for an advanced course of training for 22 weeks.

Name: Sergeant Samantha Kumara E.G. (RSP) Age: 29 School: Mahadivulgaskotuwa Primary School, Galewela Central College, Matale Joined the Army in: 1996	Name: Lance Corporal Premajayantha M.G.K.S. Age: 25 School: Gemunupura Primary School, Polonnaruwa Joined the Army in: 1999	Name: Lance Corporal Chinthaka P.G.A. Age: 22 School: Yatiyanthota National School Joined the Army in: 2003	Name: Corporal Sisira Jayanandana S.G. Age: 37 School: Bope Rajasinghe Maha Vidyalaya Joined the army in: 1990

This is where a Commando receives his unique military skills including jungle craft, an unwavering resilience, endurance and the ability to selflessly fight his Motherland in any weather and under any trying condition.

A Commando who enters the battlefield after going through this process is an expert in guerilla warfare who can fight shoulder to shoulder alongside a Commando with several years of experience. However, the arduous process of becoming a Commando has not driven Sri Lankan youth away from joining the regiment.

According to statistics, the regiment, whose recruitment drive is open throughout the year, continued to receive new recruits even during the period 1998-99 when there was a significant dearth in new recruits to the Army.

A fighting Commando, with his bravery, incredible endurance capacity and unrelenting dedication to safeguard his Motherland, is a pride to our country torn apart by decades of violence and bloodshed.

Their contribution in preserving the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Sri Lankan State from the claws of terrorism, whether it be in protecting the leaders of the nation or in fighting the enemy in the battlefield, has been immense and invaluable.

With an unblemished human rights record, the Commandos often enter villages in the North-East to a warm welcome from the public, whether Tamil, Sinhala or Muslim. For the enemy, they are an enormous challenge, which explains why the question as to who should face the Commando Regiment is always decided by the highest command of the LTTE.

Motivated by their motto "Nothing is Impossible" ('Nohekkak Nometha'), they will continue to put their lives in peril every passing hour to ensure a better and safer tomorrow for the country and for all of us. We salute you, brave sons of Mother Lanka !

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The letter by Pakistan High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Bashir Wali Mohmand to the President, Secretary Defence and the Army Commander

I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt condolences, deep shock and grief on the death of following soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army in the assassination attempt on my life on August 14.

a. Number S/551864 Corporal Samantha Kumara. E.G.

b. Number S/2600241 Corporal Sisira Jayanandana S.G.

c. Number S/553124 Lance Corporal Premajayantha N.K.G.S.

d. Number S/553910 Lance Corporal Chinthaka P.P.A.

All of the above mentioned soldiers were extremely brave, determined and daring men whose commitment to their uniform and above all to their duty was par excellence. These brave sons of the soil did not hesitate to offer the supreme sacrifice of their lives for the accomplishment of their mission.

In doing so they have joined a long list of fallen heroes. The Sri Lanka Army and the nation could be rightfully proud of their achievement and their eternal glory.

Words alone cannot express my admiration for the supreme sacrifice and extraordinary courage of these men. Their example is worthy of emulation by all members of the Armed Forces.

I am deeply saddened at the tragic loss of life and wish to convey my deep sympathies to the bereaved families. May ALLAH grant them courage to bear the irreparable loss with patience and fortitude.

I also take this opportunity to proffer my strong recommendations for a special recognition and suitable reward for these fallen heroes of Sri Lanka.