Sri Lanka’s military went through its bloodiest month in July 1996, thirty years ago.
I lost two good friends, one in the Navy and one in the Army Special Forces, during “Operation Unceasing Waves – I”, launched by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from 18th to 25th July 1996 to overrun the Mullaitivu Military Complex.
The attacks were led by Brigadier Balaraj (Bala Anna), Deputy Military Commander of the LTTE, and Colonel Soosai, head of the LTTE naval wing known as the Sea Tigers.
Our military lost 1,498 personnel who paid the supreme sacrifice, one of the highest losses suffered by our armed forces. Reinforcements sent by air and sea also faced very stiff resistance from the LTTE. Ultimately, military leaders at that time decided to evacuate the military complex, and Sri Lanka Navy landing craft (LCMs) carried out the withdrawal by sea.
I lost two of my close friends, Colonel Fazly Laphir, PWV, RWP, RSP, the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Special Forces, who led the reinforcements by air to the besieged Mullaitivu Army Complex, and Commander Parakrama Samaraweera, WWV, RSP, the Commanding Officer of the gunboat SLNS Ranaviru, which supported withdrawal forces to board LCMs by providing covering fire but was hit by suicide boats of the LTTE Black Sea Tigers. Parakrama was considered missing in action (MIA) as his remains were never recovered.
It is ironic that both hailed from the beautiful city of Kandy. Fazly was a Muslim who studied at St Anthony’s College, Kandy, and Parakrama studied at Kingswood College, Kandy and was a Buddhist.
Parakrama was known as “Nalaka” to his closest friends. He was a gentle giant—6 feet 4 inches tall and an outstanding sportsman. He captained the Sri Lanka Navy Rugby Football team, the Defence Services Rugby Football team, and was a SLN coloursman in basketball. He was the best cadet of his batch and received the Sword of Honour from then President J. R. Jayewardene during his passing-out parade in 1980 at Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo.
He was from my senior batch (8th intake of cadets), and my interactions with him began when I was a cadet in 1980 (please read my article “Gentle Giant Who Fought to Death” dated 12th July 2021 in The Island newspaper archives: https://island.lk/gentle-giant-who-fought-to-the-death). His bravery and valour are written in Sri Lanka Navy history as he is regarded as one of the greatest commanding officers who refused to leave his ship, leaving injured officers and sailors behind. He fought to his death on board a sinking ship, not allowing terrorists to board.
He is survived by his wife and two sons. Both sons followed their father’s profession and joined the Sri Lanka Navy. The younger son, Bhatia, retired recently, and the elder son, Samitha, an Australian-qualified orthopaedic surgeon, now works at the Navy Hospital, Welisara.
We will remember Commander Parakrama Samaraweera, a brilliant sea commander, outstanding sportsman, and true son of Mother Lanka. The Sri Lanka Navy will never forget him. A project initiated by former Navy Commander Admiral Piyal De Silva (a teammate of the late Parakrama in both Sri Lanka Navy rugby and baseball teams) and completed by Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenna was declared open on 23rd June 2021 in the presence of Mrs Sudarshani Samaraweera and his two sons. It was named the “Commander Parakrama Samaraweera Memorial Indoor Stadium” at the Welisara Navy Complex.
Dear Parakrama will be remembered forever. May he attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.
If you have seen Fazly, you would think he was a Hindi film actor—very smart, always well dressed, extremely fit, intelligent, and above all, a down-to-earth personality. My interaction with him began in 1980. He joined the Sri Lanka Army in August 1980 and was attached to Intake 14 (long course) of cadet officers. Another close friend of mine, Milroy Fernando, also joined the Army in the same batch. Milroy was sergeant of the Royal College Cadet Platoon 2, where I was his lance sergeant.
My interactions with Fazly began in 1981, when Intake 14 of SLA cadets came for “Gun Buster” exercises in Trincomalee, where SLA, SLAF, and SLN cadets interacted. Another SLA cadet who became friendly with me during our gatherings in Trincomalee was Cadet Officer Mohomed Ashraf Ashad.
It is sad that Milroy, as a captain, died on 6th January 1986 at Omanthai, Vavuniya due to an LTTE landmine blast, and Major Ashad died at Kattaparichchan, Muttur, south of Trincomalee when he led a commando unit into a difficult battle against the LTTE. Milroy is remembered every year when the Royal–Isipathana rugby match is played. His family donated the “Major Milroy Fernando Memorial Trophy”.
Fazly first joined the Rajarata Rifles (infantry battalion) on promotion to Second Lieutenant and then moved to the Gajaba Regiment when it was raised by the legendary Brigadier Vijaya Wimalaratne. He worked with Military Intelligence due to his fluency in Tamil. When the new Special Forces unit was raised by Major (then) Gamini Hettiarachchi—his course officer when Fazly was a cadet at the Military Academy—he joined the unit then known as the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF). This RDF was later expanded into the Special Forces Battalion in 1985. Fazly led Bravo Company of the RDF with knowledge, bravery, and valour. He was loved by his troops and always set very high standards. Fazly married Anoma Wickramasooriya, a close relative of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in 1992. One of her brothers, Lt Colonel Prasanna Wickramasooriya, was also an officer of the Gajaba Regiment who served with Fazly.
When I started training the Navy’s Special Forces (Special Boat Squadron) in 1993, the support given by Fazly was tremendous. He understood very well that Sri Lanka, being an island nation, required a maritime special force. In 1996, after completing his tenure as Chief Instructor at the Special Forces Training School in Maduru Oya, he took over command of the 1st Special Forces Regiment.
On 18th July 1996, the LTTE carried out a massive attack on the Mullaitivu Military Complex. An operation codenamed “Thrivida Pahara” was launched to rescue military personnel trapped at the besieged base. On 19th July, 275 elite Special Forces commandos led by Lieutenant Colonel Fazly Laphir, who volunteered to rescue trapped troops, were air-dropped at Alampil, near Mullaitivu. Heavy fighting erupted in the area, and in keeping with the highest traditions of the Special Forces, their commanding officer led his men valiantly. Fazly was severely wounded due to LTTE mortar fire but continued to lead his troops until his death.
Mother Lanka lost a brilliant and heroic leader.
I lost two of my great friends in uniform on that fateful day of 19th July 1996, thirty years ago. Time went by.
It was the gallantry medal awarding ceremony on 24th February 2001 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), led by then Her Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
On that day, the highest gallantry medal of Sri Lanka for exceptional bravery in the face of the enemy, Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV), was posthumously awarded to Colonel Fazly Laphir. The second-highest gallantry medal for bravery and valour in the face of the enemy, Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (WWV), was posthumously awarded to Commander Parakrama Samaraweera. His elder son, Samitha Samaraweera, received it from the President on behalf of his father, who was considered MIA.
I was also recommended for the highest gallantry medal for non-military nature, the Virodara Vibhushanaya (WV), for saving lives. I was on crutches due to a parachute jumping accident that broke both my legs.
I stood behind Anoma to receive my award. It was a very sad moment for me. My dear friend was no more. He was awarded one of the highest gallantry medals of the century. May he rest in peace.
P.S. When awarding the medal, Her Excellency the President casually asked, “What happened to your legs?” (she must have thought my injuries were due to enemy action).
I said, “Excellency, I had a bad fall during parachute jumping.”
Her eyebrows raised and she said, “You should be careful.”
What a graceful and caring leader we had as Her Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
I salute you, Madam.
