Sri Lanka Army successfully concludes joint military manoeuvres with neighbours

The three-week multinational joint military exercise involving Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, India, China and Sri Lanka concluded last Sunday (23) with the Sri Lanka exhibiting its military prowess at countering terrorism.

Army Chief Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya who witnessed the last day of the exercise, said the SL security forces are hoping to improve on the exercise by requesting more countries also to jointly exhibit their military skills, for which plans are afoot in the near future.

As the exercise saw only special forces, commandos and two other forces participating, he said that a joint exercise for other units is also under consideration.

The joint military exercise titled "Cormorant Strike III 2012", commenced on September 10 in Batticaloa.

The mock training conducted in the Punnikuda area, after intense surveillance and reconnaissance, saw eight-member commando teams, through airborne and seaborne operations supported by para jumps, making amphibious forays into enemy strongholds,.

The joint military exercise comprised of raids on boat yards, capturing high value targets, reconnaissance, surveillance of tar- gets, airborne operations, seaborne operations, amphibious landings, path-finding missions, 'Para jumps into enemy strongholds, ambushes, search operations, counter-terrorist actions and hostage rescue.

Sri Lanka Armed Forces was represented at ‘Cormorant Strike III 2012’ by 2000 tri-service personnel along with helicopter gunships, amphibious landing craft, inshore patrol craft, ships and tanks.

This was the third successive joint military exercise organised by the SL Army.