Ginimalage Samantha Jayanath
PWV,
CR ( si, ගිණිමැල්ලගේ සමන්ත ජයනාත්, died 4 December 1997), was a
major in the
Sri Lanka Army
ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம்
, image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png
, image_size = 180px
, caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army
, start_date ...
and a member of the army's elite
Commando Regiment. He posthumously received the
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya __NOTOC__
The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) (Sinhala language, Sinhala: පරම වීර වීභූෂණය ''parama vīra vibhūṣaṇaya''; Tamil language, Tamil: பரம வீர விபுஷனைய) is Sri Lanka's highest Mil ...
, the country's highest military award for gallantry, for his actions during
Operation Jayasikurui
Operation Jayasikurui (''Certain Victory'' in Sinhala), was a Sri Lankan military operation launched on 13 May 1997, it lasted until 1999, when it was called off. The operation was initially launched for 6 months but cancelled after 18 month ...
in the
Sri Lankan Civil War.
Action during Operation Jayasikurui
In May 1997, the Sri Lankan
government forces launched an offensive named
Operation Jayasikurui
Operation Jayasikurui (''Certain Victory'' in Sinhala), was a Sri Lankan military operation launched on 13 May 1997, it lasted until 1999, when it was called off. The operation was initially launched for 6 months but cancelled after 18 month ...
against the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
(commonly known as LTTE or Tamil Tigers). This operation was intended to regain the
main supply route
A main supply route (MSR) is the route or routes designated within an area of operations upon which the bulk of traffic flows in support of military operations and humanitarian operations. MSR is a term that is also used in insurgency and irregul ...
to the isolated
Jaffna peninsula by linking up the towns of
Killinochi and
Vavuniya
Vavuniya (, romanized: ''Vavuṉiyā'', , romanized: ''Vavuniyāva''). Vavuniya City is the capital of Vavuniya District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and the largest city in the Northern Province. The municipality is administered by Va ...
.
By December 1997, the offensive had reached
Maankulam. At the time, Jayanath was a
captain in the
2nd Commando Regiment
The 2nd Commando Regiment is a special forces unit of the Australian Army and is part of Special Operations Command. The regiment was established on 19 June 2009 when the 4th Battalion RAR (Commando) was renamed. It is based at Holsworthy, ...
attached to the army's elite
53 Division. On 4 December, he led a
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
of commandos to destroy an identified artillery position in Tamil Tiger-held Maankulam. However, upon arriving at their target, they discovered that the artillery position was a decoy, and immediately came under direct and artillery fire from Tamil Tiger units who had been waiting in ambush. Jayanath pressed forward with a small group, attempting to draw their fire and allow the rest of his men to escape. The group was soon pinned down and Jayanath ordered a defensive perimeter and radioed for reinforcements, expressing confidence that his group could hold out until they arrived.
However, the reinforcements met with heavy resistance and failed to reach the group, and Jayanath was ordered to attempt to break through the Tamil Tiger positions. By this time, his group had taken heavy casualties from the constant artillery fire and repeated assaults on their positions. Attempting to break out in that situation would have meant leaving behind the wounded, and Jayanath refused the order. He informed his commanding officer that he would not leave as long as even one of his men were alive, and that they would hold out against the enemy assaults as long as possible and would not surrender. Jayanath kept fighting until he was shot in the head and killed, and the group was almost completely destroyed when their positions were eventually overrun.
The mission ended in disaster for the army with approximately 180 men killed.
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
Jayanath was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major and recommended for the
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya __NOTOC__
The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) (Sinhala language, Sinhala: පරම වීර වීභූෂණය ''parama vīra vibhūṣaṇaya''; Tamil language, Tamil: பரம வீர விபுஷனைய) is Sri Lanka's highest Mil ...
, Sri Lanka's
highest military award for gallantry, for his actions during the mission to assault artillery positions during Operation Jayasikurui. The award was approved over a year later in 2001.
Chandrika Kumaratunga, the then President of Sri Lanka, awarded the medal to his next-of-kin on 24 April 2001.
To date, Jayanath is one of five Commandos who has received the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya.
Along with Colonel
Fazly Lafir who was posthumously awarded the medal at the same time, Jayanath was one of the first members of a
special operations
Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
unit and also one of the first army officers to receive the award.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jayanath, G. S.
Recipients of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
Sri Lanka Army Commando officers
Year of birth missing
1997 deaths
Sri Lankan military personnel killed in action