23rd September 2016 01:27:09 Hours
Forty-eight Commandos of the Army, grouped into six teams rehearsed their professional skills in ‘Anti Hijacking & Hostage Release’ at the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa airport, Hambantota this afternoon (22) during a mock exercise, staged in the presence of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva and senior officers.
This hostage rescue demonstration, a minor segment of the just concluded ‘Exercise - Cormorant Strike’, was launched under two categories; (i) flight option (ii) building option, in which the Commandos of the Army, attached to the ‘Anti Hijacking & Hostage Release Team’ (AHHRT) displayed how hostages, trapped in a building and inside an aircraft, could be rescued safely using vehicle manoeuvering method and heli-rappelling techniques respectively.
The mock exercise further exemplified how those terrorist leaders who have taken air passengers hostage were captured alive and taken into the custody of the security forces after releasing the hostages unhurt.
The 58 member team of foreign participants and observers in the ‘Cormorant Strike’, just concluded in Arisimalai witnessed the rescue skills of the Commandos in Thursday’s mock hostage segment.
Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva, Commander of the Army, Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, Director Exercise - ‘Cormorant Strike’, Major General Jagath Alwis, Commander, Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Deputy Director, Exercise and other Deputy/Additional Directors of the Exercise, Divisional commanders and all Brigade Commanders were present to witness the exercise.
