Combined groups of Army and Air Force trainees, Nepal and Bangladesh soldiers participating in the ongoing ‘Cormorant Strike - 2019’ Field Training Exercise (FTX) sent shock waves among a section of Kandyans on Saturday (7) when a mock operation in the urban Getambe area rehearsed their skills in storming a terrorist hide-out and capturing the terrorist leader and his aides unharmed.
Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva on his way back from Naula SF Regimental Headquarters where he signed up for the office of the SF Colonel Regiment earlier on the day made a surprise visit to the mock operation site and encouraged the attendees under training for those challenging and covert operations. He, together with the Exercise Director and a few respective Senior Officers, at first received a briefing and watched how the terrorist leader with their gang was captured and flew him to the Operation Headquarters for further interrogations and investigations.
Following Military Intelligence, 4 Special Forces, skilled in urban fighting, backed by Air Force troops triggered off the mock operation with 2 eight-man teams, two rider teams and urban fighting teams. Two 4 SF eight man teams in the meantime descended from two Bell 212 helicopters and scurried to the venue. Riders backed up the crowded area with defenders and other vehicles, particularly designed for urban fighting and swiftly jumped into action and captured the terrorist leader, together with his gang after rounding them up.