Lalith Jayasinghe
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel
J.A.L Jayasinghe WWV
, RWP
, RSP
, SF
was an officer of the Special Forces Regiment
of the Sri Lanka Army who was twice decorated with the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
(WWV) the second highest award for combat bravery in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. He was killed in November 2008, while leading an eight-man Special Forces team on a covert operation
30 km behind enemy lines into territory held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE).
team.
He married Kaushalya Rodrigo in January 2008, at the time of his death she was in November 2008 she was five months pregnant.
to the 6th Regiment of the Gemunu Watch
. He was later selected to undergo Special Forces
training. After following Special Forces Training Course–24, which he successfully completed, he received Special Forces credential
s following which He was then assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Regiment.
In addition to basic training, Jayasignhe had undergone several specialized training courses, both locally and overseas. These include the successful completion of training courses offered by India
, China
, United States
and Bangladesh
. He had also received training in military training centers of the Sri Lanka Army in Minneriya
, Ganemulla
, Uva Kudaoya and Diyatalawa
areas. Jayasinghe was promoted to Captain, and later, to the rank of Major
within a time period of ten years. He had functioned as a platoon commander, company commander
and also a commanding officer
during this time.
A recipient of the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
(twice), Rana Wickrama Padakkama
, Rana Sura Padakkama
gallantry medals he had also received the Desha Putra Sammanaya
, North and East Operations Medal
, Purna Bhumi Padakkama
, Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal and 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal.
Jayasinghe was a specialist in long range reconnaissance patrol operations, and had helped achieve many victories for the Sri Lanka Army during the Sri Lankan Civil War
. This includes participating in the assassination of Vaithilingam Sornalingam
, alias Colonel Shankar, a senior commander of the LTTE, its intelligence leader Charles (killed in January 2008), and Sea Tiger Deputy Leader Kangai Amaran in June 2001.
mission in LTTE held territory. Leading an eight man Special Forces team, he had infiltrated thirty kilometers behind enemy lines into the Oddusudan area in LTTE enemy territory and conducted an attack. After completing the first attack, the team had been moving on to a second target when they were spotted by LTTE cadres. Jayasinghe was wounded in the ensuing confrontation, and his team withdrew to a safer location with their wounded team leader. They were spotted again by the LTTE, and in the second confrontation Jayasinghe was killed, while another member of the eight man team was wounded.
A rescue operation was later carried out to rescue the Special Forces team, with the assistance of Mi-24
helicopter gunships of the Sri Lanka Air Force. All seven members of the team were extracted, along with Jayasinghe's body. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
. His funeral was held in Ukwatta, his home town, on 1 December 2008 with full military honours. To confer blessings to the late Lt. Col. Jayasinghe, Georgia Buddhist Vihara, Atlanta USA conducted a religious ceremony on 5 December 2008. There was a mathaka wastra pooja, pirith chanting and alms giving.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
J.A.L Jayasinghe WWV
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya Medal and Bar are the third highest Sri Lankan military decoration that is presented to officers and other ranks as a reward for individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery which is of a military nature of a high order in the face of the enemy, carried out...
, RWP
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan military officers and other ranks as a reward for individual or allied acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord.-How medal awarded:It is ordained that the decoration shall be granted to all ranks of...
, RSP
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
, SF
Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment
The Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment is the elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This Regiment is specialized in hard-hitting shock action. The Special Forces Regiment has the distinction of taking part in almost all major offensives conducted by the Army since 1986. Their motto...
was an officer of the Special Forces Regiment
Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment
The Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment is the elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This Regiment is specialized in hard-hitting shock action. The Special Forces Regiment has the distinction of taking part in almost all major offensives conducted by the Army since 1986. Their motto...
of the Sri Lanka Army who was twice decorated with the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya Medal and Bar are the third highest Sri Lankan military decoration that is presented to officers and other ranks as a reward for individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery which is of a military nature of a high order in the face of the enemy, carried out...
(WWV) the second highest award for combat bravery in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. He was killed in November 2008, while leading an eight-man Special Forces team on a covert operation
Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (Sri Lanka)
The Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol is a covert operation unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This unit is also known as the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army and also as the Mahasohon Brigade...
30 km behind enemy lines into territory held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
(LTTE).
Education and family
Jayasinghe was educated at Avissawella President's College (Previously Nava Kanishta Vidyalaya) and Colombo South Lumbini College. He was also a member of the school's RugbyRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
team.
He married Kaushalya Rodrigo in January 2008, at the time of his death she was in November 2008 she was five months pregnant.
Military career
Jayasinghe enlisted to the Regular Force of the Sri Lanka Army on 22 January 1997, as a cadet officer. He received training at the Bangladesh Defence Services College, where he followed Course 3 offered by the College. On completion of his training, Jayasinghe was commissioned as a Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
to the 6th Regiment of the Gemunu Watch
Gemunu Watch
The Gemunu Watch was formed with troops from the Ceylon Light Infantry and the Ceylon Sinha Regiment in 1962. It has been deployed in many major operations against the LTTE. It is made up of 9 regular units and 4 volunteer units. Headquartered at Kuruwita Army Camp, Ratnapura...
. He was later selected to undergo Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
training. After following Special Forces Training Course–24, which he successfully completed, he received Special Forces credential
Credential
A credential is an attestation of qualification, competence, or authority issued to an individual by a third party with a relevant or de facto authority or assumed competence to do so....
s following which He was then assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Regiment.
In addition to basic training, Jayasignhe had undergone several specialized training courses, both locally and overseas. These include the successful completion of training courses offered by India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He had also received training in military training centers of the Sri Lanka Army in Minneriya
Minneriya
Minneriya is a small town in Sri Lanka, and is famous for two things , for the great Minneriya lake build by King Mahasen and for the Minneriya National Park which is a hot spot for safari lovers because of the abandons of Elephants...
, Ganemulla
Ganemulla
Ganemulla is a mid size town situated in the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. Ganemulla is about 9 km from Kadawatha on the Colombo-Kandy road. The nearest city to Ganemulla is Gampaha, which is about 5 km in distance...
, Uva Kudaoya and Diyatalawa
Diyatalawa
Diyatalawa is a garrison town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, in the Badulla District of Uva Province. It is at an altitude of and has become a popular destination for local holiday makers...
areas. Jayasinghe was promoted to Captain, and later, to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
within a time period of ten years. He had functioned as a platoon commander, company commander
Company Commander
A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 350 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons....
and also a commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
during this time.
A recipient of the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya Medal and Bar are the third highest Sri Lankan military decoration that is presented to officers and other ranks as a reward for individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery which is of a military nature of a high order in the face of the enemy, carried out...
(twice), Rana Wickrama Padakkama
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan military officers and other ranks as a reward for individual or allied acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord.-How medal awarded:It is ordained that the decoration shall be granted to all ranks of...
, Rana Sura Padakkama
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
gallantry medals he had also received the Desha Putra Sammanaya
Desha Putra Sammanaya
The Desha Putra Sammanaya is a Sri Lankan military decoration, equivalent to United States Purple Heart that awarded to those who are killed or wounded in combat.-Eligibility:...
, North and East Operations Medal
North and East Operations Medal
The North and East Operations Medal is presented to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the military of the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Police, who have served in the Norther and Eastern provinces for an accumulated period of 3 years since July 23, 1983.-Areas of service...
, Purna Bhumi Padakkama
Purna Bhumi Padakkama
The Purna Bhumi Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the military of the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Police, who have served in the districts of:* Jaffna since July 22, 1977....
, Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal and 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal.
Jayasinghe was a specialist in long range reconnaissance patrol operations, and had helped achieve many victories for the Sri Lanka Army during the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. This includes participating in the assassination of Vaithilingam Sornalingam
Vaithilingam Sornalingam
Vaithilingam Sornalingam was founder of the air wing and marine division of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and a relative of Velupillai Prabhakaran...
, alias Colonel Shankar, a senior commander of the LTTE, its intelligence leader Charles (killed in January 2008), and Sea Tiger Deputy Leader Kangai Amaran in June 2001.
Death
Jayasinghe was killed in November 2008, during a reconnaissanceReconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
mission in LTTE held territory. Leading an eight man Special Forces team, he had infiltrated thirty kilometers behind enemy lines into the Oddusudan area in LTTE enemy territory and conducted an attack. After completing the first attack, the team had been moving on to a second target when they were spotted by LTTE cadres. Jayasinghe was wounded in the ensuing confrontation, and his team withdrew to a safer location with their wounded team leader. They were spotted again by the LTTE, and in the second confrontation Jayasinghe was killed, while another member of the eight man team was wounded.
A rescue operation was later carried out to rescue the Special Forces team, with the assistance of Mi-24
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
helicopter gunships of the Sri Lanka Air Force. All seven members of the team were extracted, along with Jayasinghe's body. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. His funeral was held in Ukwatta, his home town, on 1 December 2008 with full military honours. To confer blessings to the late Lt. Col. Jayasinghe, Georgia Buddhist Vihara, Atlanta USA conducted a religious ceremony on 5 December 2008. There was a mathaka wastra pooja, pirith chanting and alms giving.
See also
- Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (Sri Lanka)Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (Sri Lanka)The Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol is a covert operation unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This unit is also known as the Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army and also as the Mahasohon Brigade...
- Sri Lanka Army Special Forces RegimentSri Lanka Army Special Forces RegimentThe Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment is the elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This Regiment is specialized in hard-hitting shock action. The Special Forces Regiment has the distinction of taking part in almost all major offensives conducted by the Army since 1986. Their motto...
- Awards and decorations of the military of Sri LankaAwards and decorations of the military of Sri LankaAwards and decorations of the Sri Lankan Military are military orders, decorations and medals which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the Sri Lankan armed forces...