A triumphant Army

The Sri Lanka Army's 59th anniversary has assumed added significance mainly because it is now knocking at the gates of Prabhakaran's citadels Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Military analysts agree that the Tiger strongholds would fall to the Army soon, signifying the end of the LTTE as a conventional fighting force.

This is a far cry from the ceremonial army that Sri Lanka used to have. As explained in a separate article on page 8 in this issue, the turning point was 1983. Since then, the Army has been battling a terrorist group recently described by the FBI as the deadliest in the world and which dominated certain parts of the North and the East.

The battle against the LTTE has seen ups and downs. The military suffered debacles in the past in the Northern war theatre due to certain wrong decisions of the political and military leadership. Yet, the Army was resilient enough to bear these manpower, equipment and property losses and turn the tables on the Tigers who many thought were invincible in the areas they dominate.

The challenge posed by the LTTE to the Army is experienced by only a few other armies around the world. Fighting a conventional war or even a jungle guerilla war is one thing - but fighting an unseen enemy who mingles with the civilian population is another. Indeed, the Forces have had to face the challenge posed by LTTE 'sleepers' who turn into suicide terrorists on the orders of their controllers and leaders. They also place bombs in buses, on roads and other places far removed from the war theatre, targeting civilians.

The Army has had to face these covert operations of the LTTE practically all over the country. With public cooperation, they have succeeded to a great extent in preventing many LTTE attacks in Colombo and elsewhere. Of course, one cannot expect the Army, other Services, and the Police to be present everywhere, all the time and there are instances when the LTTE cadres have succeeded in carrying out devastating attacks. But to the credit of the Forces and the public, such attacks are becoming rare.

The Army has also evolved many specialised units over the years, including Special Forces and Intelligence. The latter is vital given that the LTTE still engages in guerilla-style attacks from time to time in both operational and non-operational areas.

The Army's engineering division also does wonders in liberated areas, setting up initial infrastructure facilities for the troops and civilians.We also take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the thousands of soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice in defending their Motherland and to those who had been disabled for life. Today, the masses are with the Army and the Forces all the way. Campaigns such as Api Venuven Api (Together for All) have brought them closer together in the mission of eliminating terrorism from Sri Lanka.

The youth are enthusiastically joining the Army, which is planning to increase its strength. A large number of those who had been Absent Without Official Leave have returned to the Army. This will be an added strength as such personnel can be deployed to the battlefield with little or no training, since they already possess all necessary skills.

The Army could not have achieved all these successes by itself, without the unstinted support of especially the Navy and the Air Force.

The Navy has stopped the flow of weapons to Tigers to a large extent while the Air Force attacks Tiger installations almost on a daily basis in support of troops on the frontlines. The STF is a tower of strength to the Army in the East while the Police and the Civil Security Department are extending a helping hand especially in maintaining security mainly in non-operational areas.

As the Army enters into its 60th year, some analysts are already looking beyond a comprehensive victory for the Forces. The question of how best to utilise the Army and indeed the other Forces in peacetime is best left to the experts, but it is one aspect that the authorities should ponder in the context of a national rejuvenation after the defeat of LTTE terrorism.