[Heroes]
Ambushed airmen save the day
Sajitha PREMATUNGE
[email protected]
For most people love for the forces run in the family and LAC
(Leading Air Craftsman) G. B. Upul Shantha was no exception. His elder
brother, like him, was in the Air Force, while the younger brother
joined the police with his blessings.
 “I always wanted to join the Air Force. But after my elder brother
joined, my parents were reluctant to give their blessings. So I sat for
the interview, underwent a medical test and ultimately told them after
five days of training in China Bay.” said LAC Upul Shantha reminiscing
with a smile.
LAC Upul Shantha joined the Air Force on December, 29, 1997 and was
trained as a gunner for three months in China Bay. Then he took the
Advanced Gunner Course at KKS (Kankasanthurai), before he was deployed
with the rest of the Alpha 2 flight to the front lines of Operation
Jayasikuru.
Date: November 19, 1999
Time: 0220 hours
Location: FDL, Munnikulam
The FDL was lying in the middle of the Munnikulam village. “We were
defending when the first attack came.” They tried their best to hold
their ground but the attack got intense. One of their LACs got hit as
they were forced to withdraw, abandoning ten of the thirty members of
Alpha one.
0610 hrs: As dawn approached the officers in charge - Flying
Lieutenants Dissanayake, Milinda Perera and Kumarasiri decided to regain
lost ground. This proved vital to save the ten stranded airmen.
The officers briefed three groups consisting of ten individuals in
each. The first group headed towards the bunker line while the second
used the road and the third took the woods on the other side of the
road. LAC Upul Shantha was in the first group headed for the bunker
line.
 After advancing approximately 300 metres, a terrorist commenced
attack on the first group, from one of Air Force’s abandoned bunkers.
LAC Upul Shantha crawled towards the bunker using a canal in the paddy
field.
They were assaulted with artillery and mortar to the point that they
could not even crawl any more. LAC Upul Shantha crawled behind the mound
near the bunker and hurled a grenade inside.
He lunged into the bunker, simultaneously opening fire and killed the
terrorist. With it the incessant hail of artillery and mortar also
ceased. “It turned out that the terrorist we killed was an LTTE
‘artillery Captain’.” They also found a communication set with the
terrorist.
0615 hrs: With one triumph behind them the teams moved
forward. Among the airmen who were stranded Corporal Rohana and LAC
Kumarasinghe were wounded. “We just couldn’t move forward, the attack
was too severe.”
It turned out that they were heading straight for an ambush. The LTTE
has got their hands on an Air Force com-set and the necessary call
signs, that was in the possession of another Corporal Rohana, a sniper.
 The terrorists used the com-set to lure them in to the ambush. The
LTTE was attacking the airmen from the other side of the sluice of the
reservoir, using small arms and attacked with artillery and mortar from
further behind. The airmen counter attacked with mortar and LMG (Light
Machine gun).
0720 hrs: The Air Force troops could not rely on
reinforcements. The Army and Air Force lines were infiltrated on both
sides. And the intensity of the attack did not permit them to advance
any further. However the teams were able to succeed in their mission.
They rescued the stranded nine airmen - with only one loss, Corporal
Rohana, the sniper - before withdrawing, killing ten terrorists along
the way.
Epilogue:
After a battle that lasted roughly one hour, the casualties were
transferred to the Head Quarters of First Gajaba Regiment, Munnikulam
for first aid.
For recovering the LTTE com-set, which the Forces have not come
across before; and rescuing and bringing the casualties to safety, LAC
Upul Shantha was awarded a Rana Wickrama Gallantry Medal in 2002. He is
now a Corporal with a eleven year service.
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