Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration (TAFII) is a task force deployed by 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 ...

from 1963 from 1981 to counter illegal immigration from

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

. It was the first field formation deployed by the

Ceylon Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

and had its headquarters at Palaly. TAFII originated from "Operations Monty" named after then Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of External Affairs and Defense, Major

Montague Jayawickrama Major Deshamanya Walter Geoffrey Montague "Monti" Jayawickrama (January 15, 1911 – November 16, 2001) was a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the Minister of Transport and Public Works (1952-1956) and the Minister of Public Administrati ...

in 1952 to stop illegal immigration of Indian Tamils repatriated to India after they were refused citizenship by the government of Ceylon. In 1963, operation was renamed as Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration as a formation in support of

Royal Ceylon Navy ta, இலங்கை கடற்படை , image = Sri Lanka Naval Seal.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of Sri Lanka Navy , dates = , c ...

coastal patrols and police operations. Initially army contribution was known as "Army Force M" consisted of an infantry battalion with support units based in the coast of

Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places: India * Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala Sri Lanka * Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka ** Mannar Island, an island within the district **Mannar Bridge, a bridge connect ...

. The task force had its headquarters at Palaly and had units deployed from Mollikulam point to Kokilai. There were army camps in Silavathurai, Thalladi,

Talaimannar Talaimannar ( ta, தலைமன்னார்; si, තලෙයිමන්නාරම) is a settlement in Sri Lanka located on the northwestern coast of Mannar Island. Transport Sri Lanka's northern railway line was destroyed, disrupted ...

Pooneryn Poonakary ( ta, பூநகரி, translit=Pūnakari; si, පූනෙරිය, translit=Pūneriya),is a tamil village strategically important village in the northern province of Sri Lanka situated just below the Jaffna Peninsula. A fort w ...

Valvettithurai Valvettithurai ( ta, வல்வெட்டித்துறை, translit=Valveṭṭittuṟai; si, වල්වෙට්ටිතුරෙයි, translit=Valveṭṭitureyi), sometimes shortened as VVT or Valvai, is a coastal town of Jaffna ...

, Madagala, Thondamannar, Mulleitivu and Kokilai. In addition several smaller detachments of 5-10 soldiers each were located. After 1972, TAFII shifted its focus to counter insurgency operations with the raise of the Tamil militancy. It was disbanded in 1980 with the on set of the Sri Lankan Civil War and was replaced by the Task Force 4 Northern Command.

Past Commanding officers, Ops Monty

* Maj. General H. W. G. Wijeyekoon

Past Commanders TAFII

* Colonel

Sepala Attygalle General Deshamanya Don Sepala Attygalle, (14 October 1921 – 15 January 2001) was a Sri Lankan senior army officer, civil servant and diplomat. The longest serving Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1967–1977), he went on to serve as the Perm ...

1963-1965 * Colonel M P Jayaweera 1965-1966 * Colonel

P. D. Ramayanayake Brigadier (Sri Lanka), Brigadier Percy Douglas Ramayanayake (26 March 1917 – 7 January 2007) was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer who was the founder of the Sri Lanka Engineers. He had served as the Commander, Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration ...

1969-1970 * Colonel E. T. De Z Abeysekera 1970-1971 * Colonel

B. K. V. J. E. Rodrigo Brigadier Bastian Koralalage Victor Justus Ethelred Rodrigo VSV was a Sri Lankan military leader, he served as the commandant of the Volunteer Force. Rodrigo was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 1st Anti Aircraft Regiment, Ceylon Artill ...

1971-1972 * Colonel

Tissa Weeratunga General Tissa Indraka Weeratunga, VSV (August 29, 1930 – November 2003) was a Sri Lankan senior army officer. He was a former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1981 – 1985) and first General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Joint Oper ...

1972-1976 * Colonel

Henry Athukorale Lieutenant General Henry Vijaya Athukorale, VSV, psc, FBIM (30 November 1930 – 21 December 2019) was a Sri Lankan senior army officer. He served as Commandant, Volunteer Force and Commander, Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration. Militar ...

1976-1977 * Colonel M Medawala 1977-1977 * Colonel G D Fernando 1977-1978

Notable Members

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Nalin Seneviratne General Ganegoda Appuhamelage Don Granville Nalin Seneviratne, VSV (August 25, 1931 – August 12, 2009) was a Sri Lankan Army officer. He was the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 1985 to 1988 and first Governor of the North East Provi ...

- former staff officer, TAFII * Lt. General

Denzil Kobbekaduwa Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP ( si, ඩෙන්සිල් ලක්ෂ්මණ් කොබ්බෑකඩුව; 27 July 1940 – 8 August 1992) was a senior Sri Lankan Army officer who served in t ...

- former staff officer, TAFIIGeneral Denzil L. Kobbekaduwa - a hero and genuine leader
/ref> *

Lt. Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the army, armies, most Marine (armed services), marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use t ...

Gotabaya Rajapaksa - former signals officer, TAFII *

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...

M. H. Gunaratne - Officer Commanding Troops, TAFII *

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

D.W. Hapuarachchi - Officer Commanding Troops, TAFII *

Bertie Dias - Officer Commanding Troops, TAFII

References

{{reflist Fromer commands of the Sri Lanka Army Military units and formations of the Sri Lanka Army Illegal immigration India–Sri Lanka relations Indian emigrants to Sri Lanka Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka