New STF recruits to defend the motherland

A large contingent of Commandos from the Police Special Task Force (STF) completed their training and passedout from the Kalutara STF Training School on Monday. This was the second batch to passout this year (a batch passed out in February prior to this).

The Special Task Force is the Sri Lanka Police Department's Paramilitary Wing and has a rank and file similar to the Sri Lanka Army. The unit is deployed primarily in the Eastern Province and specializes in Counterinsurgency Operations. The STF also plays a major role in defending Colombo and other major cities in the south.
A decision was made to start recruiting STF personnel after a long layoff in enlistment and training some years ago and since then, the unit has enjoyed a high rate of enlistment particularly in the recent past along with the three branches of mainstream Military.

The main criticism against the STF has been its recent inability to destroy a group of around 150 LTTE cadres hiding in jungles from Peraru to Yala. The task, however is herculean considering the LTTE's practice of hide and seek as opposed to face-to-face combat. A Special Forces unit is also deployed in the south to counter this threat in case of an emergency.

Earlier this year, several STF camps in the East (including Thirukkovil and Arantalawa) were vacated and relocated to Mannar and Weli Oya and new Army Brigades were established at Vakarai, Thoppigala, Sithandi and Morawewa (in addition to the Morawewa SLAF base) to rectify the situation. This move, however, diverted four new Brigades of the Army from operational duties from the North, where they were originally intended for deployment.

Recently, the Defence Ministry, the SLA and the STF have come to an agreement to rectify the situation by gradually increasing the cadre of the STF. Already, Batticaloa Town is under STF oversight. It is hoped that the new recruits who passedout on Monday would become part of the country's defenses against terrorists.