STF commemorates war heroes

The Police Special Task Force will hold its 26th war heroes commemoration ceremony on September 1. The STF launched in 1983 with a cadre of 60 police personnel has today developed into a major security arm of the state involved in VIP security, protecting sensitive terrorist targets and suppressing all activities which pose a threat to national security.

It also helped the police and the Sri Lanka army in suppressing terrorism in the country. As such the Defence Ministry decided to deploy the STF in active duty in the North and East including the Jaffna peninsula during the height of LTTE terrorism.

For the first time four STF officers laid down their lives in defence of the country on September 1, 1984 in LTTE land mine explosive in Tikkam Jaffna.

The four officers were constables Ekanayake (4100), Mathupala (2539) Nanayakkara (3928) and Driver Sumanasekara (13029).

Thereafter September 1 each year was celebrated as the war heroes day of the STF. To date 462 STF members and 6 civilian staff have laid down their lives in defence of the unity and territorial integrity of the motherland.