Mock operation launched in Colombo to free hostages held by terrorists
September 14, 2019The ongoing ‘Cormorant Strike X- 2019’ Field Training Exercise saw one of its segments (mock operations) reach Colombo on Friday (13) after intelligence reports indicating an enemy terrorist infiltration at the Central Bank who had then begun to fire indiscriminately killing and wounding civilians.
A band of 07 – 12 terrorists armed with T - 56 and modified versions, LMGs, pistols, hand grenades, sniper weapons and IEDs had demanded a ransom of USD 100,000.00 in exchange for hostages in their custody.
Responding to this emergency situation, 6 eight-man teams, together with one reserve strike force team and another eight-man team conducted a mock operation and rescued all bank employees. Troops heli rappelled on to the top of the building from a Bell 212 helicopter while combat riders provided overall protection to the ground troops. Special Forces well trained in urban fighting joined in to rescue the bank employees, trapped inside the building. The well-coordinated mock operation was successfully executed and troops managed to free all the hostages and kill all terrorists.
The annual joint Tri-Services Field Training Exercise (FTX), ‘Exercise Cormorant Strike X – 2019’, organized by the Sri Lanka Army for the 10th consecutive year is currently underway with the participation of a combined Tri Forces strength of 2400 Army, 400 Navy and 200 Air Force personnel and over 100 foreign military representatives and observers from a number of countries.
