This special forces unit, formed in 1983, was actually created as a specialized police corps and not a military unit to combat insurgency and terrorism in Sri Lanka. Most of the recruits are posted in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, while some are stationed in the Vavuniya and Mannar Districts. The Sri Lankan Special Task Force also specializes in providing VIP security, so much so, that foreign law enforcement organization employed the force’s expertise to assist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and other events with high-alert terrorist threats.
