Pak army to get anti-guerrilla warfare training in Lanka
Colombo: Battling Taliban militancy in its tribal areas, Pakistan has expressed keenness to send its army officers to get specialised anti-insurgency training from Sri Lanka, which vanquished the Tamil Tigers.
Proposals for sending Pakistan's men in battle fatigues to Sri Lanka cropped up as Colombo announced its plans to convert heavily forested Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya areas, from where LTTE waged its decades-long guerrilla campaign, into low intensity warfare training schools.
Setting up of such specialsed warfare schools in sea- facing Wanni region was disclosed by new Army Chief Lt Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya, who said: "We have received a request from Pakistan to train their officers on our small team operations."
Pakistan army faced a confrontation with militant outfits in its just launched military campaign against Taliban in its restive tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. The army's baptisation to taking on the guerrillas was, according to Western military analysts, was not a major success.
So, the Pakistan army personnel want to get trained in anti-guerrilla warfare tactics as well as fighting urban warfare in schools in thick Wanni jungles.
Confirming plans to open such battle facilities for foreign armies, Jayasuriya said, "We have decided to open several new training schools in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya to train local and foreign military officers."
Following requests from the region and elsewhere, the Sri Lankan Army is planning to provide military training for foreign security forces taking into account the successful and innovative military strategies that were put in place to defeat the LTTE, the Army Chief said yesterday.
Lt Gen Jayasuriya told officials at the Armoured Corps Regimental Headquarters here that there was a big demand from foreign countries to have their forces trained especially on small team operations and other successful strategies.
He said Sinhala military literature and manuals used by the Army were being translated into English for the benefit of military officers from foreign countries.
The army chief said the number of soldiers involved in de-mining activities in the recently liberated northern region would be increased with the addition of another group of 150.
"We hope to have about 700 soldiers on the de-mining programme and also utilise heavy machinery for the dangerous and sensitive operations," he said, adding that de-mining had been completed in two villages in the Mannar district.
Jayasuriya said the army was also setting up permanent military camps in the liberated areas in the North.
"Already we have ordered pre-fabricated buildings from China to build military camps and these would be installed in these areas soon. We also hope to set up a new division for the Southern region as well," he said.
With regard to the IDP camps in Vavuniya, the Army Chief said that the army was only responsible for maintaining security and not for the running of the camps.
Pakistan helped Sri Lanka fight the LTTE by supplying weapons when other countries had placed an embargo on arms sales to the country.
Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, a former naval chief who is currently the National Security Adviser, recently told an international seminar in Britain that the strategies and tactics of the Sri Lankan Navy to tackle the LTTE's naval arm could be of use to other navies because in future conflicts navies will face small and fast boats of non-state rogue forces not instead of battleships and destroyers.
Pak army to get anti-guerrilla warfare training in Lanka - Express India