The black smoke of thirty years of brutal terrorist war has disappeared due to the blood and sweat of those brave war heroes.
During the terrorist war in the North and the East, 464 Special Task Force (STF) soldiers and six civil servants sacrificed their lives for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the motherland. Similarly, 774 soldiers were injured and completely disabled.
On September 1, 1984, a truck in which the STF officers were travelling in the Tikkam area between Jaffna and Point Pedro was attacked by the LTTE. They were the first four members of the STF who were caught in a landmine planted by the LTTE terrorists and breathed their last for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the motherland.
Four officers, Police Sergeants R. Chandrapala, P.A. Ekanayake, L.D. Nanayakkara and Police Sergeant Driver H.D. Sumanasekara were killed and 11 others were injured when they were caught in a terrorist bomb attack, showing the brutality of the LTTE terrorists.
This event is named as Special Task Force (STF) War Heroes Day and every war hero of the STF who sacrificed his life on behalf of the motherland is remembered at this event. Parents, wives, children and relatives will participate in the main celebration of the war heroes. There, school equipment will be given to the children of the STF war heroes.
The main STF War Heroes Day commemoration will be held at the STF Training School, Katukurunda today 1 at 8.00 am. The war heroes’ commemorations will be held near the war heroes’ memorials at Kataragama and Ampara STF camps at 8.00am today.
Arrangements have also been made to conduct a war heroes’ commemoration near the war heroes’ memorial at the Anuradhapura camp and Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi today at 7.30 am.
An almsgiving will also be held at the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy on September 3 at 8.00am to invoke blessings on the fallen war heroes.
