Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Tuan Nizam Muthaliff,
RWP,
MI (July 12, 1966 – May 31, 2005) was a
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 ...
officer and
intelligence officer
An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a rank, used in the same way a ...
who, while serving as the
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
,
1 Military Intelligence Corps, was assassinated by 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 ...
during the
ceasefire and peace process.
Early life and education
Born to a
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
family in
Trincomalee
Trincomalee (; ta, திருகோணமலை, translit=Tirukōṇamalai; si, ත්රිකුණාමළය, translit= Trikuṇāmaḷaya), also known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee Dis ...
, Muthaliff was educated at
D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo where he excelled in both studies and sports.
Military career
Early career
Having completed his schooling, Muthaliff joined 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 ...
as a
cadet officer
St John Ambulance Ireland (SJAI), previously known as the St John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland, is a charitable voluntary organisation in Ireland. For constitutional reasons it is not a full member association of the Venerable Order of Saint Jo ...
in June 1986. He first underwent basic training at the
Sri Lanka Military Academy
The Sri Lanka Military Academy () (SLMA or SLMA Diyatalawa), commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's training centre where officer cadets are trained for getting commission. It is located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa ...
in
Diyatalawa
Diyatalawa (දියතලාව, meaning “the watered plain”) is a former garrison town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, in the Badulla District of Uva Province. It is situated at an altitude of and has become a popular destination ...
and subsequently received officer training at the
Pakistan Military Academy
Pakistan Military Academy ( ur, ), also referred to by its acronym PMA. PMA is an officers training school located near Kakul village in the city and district of Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa established in 1947. It is the sole service academy ...
. On completing his training, he was commissioned as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in the 4th Battalion,
Gemunu Watch
The Gemunu Watch (GW) ("King Dutugemunu's Own") is a infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, formed with troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Ceylon Light Infantry and the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Ceylon Sinha Regiment in 1962. It has bee ...
and took part in military operations such as the
Vadamarachchi Operation
Operation Liberation also known as the Vadamarachchi Operation was the military offensive carried out by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in May and June 1987 to recapture the territory of Vadamarachchi in the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE (Tam ...
. He was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
on June 2, 1989.
Military intelligence
From 1990, he was attached to the Military Intelligence Unit of the
Joint Operations Command which later became the
Directorate of Military Intelligence and he was transferred to the
Military Intelligence Corps
The Military Intelligence Corps is the intelligence branch of the United States Army. The primary mission of military intelligence in the United States Army is to provide timely, relevant, accurate, and synchronized intelligence and electronic ...
with its formation in 1990. He was promoted to the rank of
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
on July 2, 1992, and afterwards to
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
on July 2, 1995. During this time he had served as
general staff officer III (Intelligence) at
Army Headquarters;
officer commanding
The officer commanding (OC), also known as the officer in command or officer in charge (OiC), is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit (smaller than battalion size), principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, ...
, Military intelligence training section; group commander, Intelligence Security Group in
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...
for about three and a half years, group commander at the
Directorate of Military Intelligence in Colombo for about three years since 1997 and
general staff officer I (intelligence) in
Vavuniya
Vavuniya (, romanized: ''Vavuṉiyā'', , romanized: ''Vavuniyāva''). Vavuniya City is the capital of Vavuniya District in the Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Northern Province of Sri Lanka and the largest city in the Northern Province. The municip ...
from 2000 to 2001. He under went several foreign training courses, such as the he Intelligence Staff Course and Counter Intelligence Course at the
Directorate General of Forces Intelligence
The Directorate General of Forces Intelligence ( bn, প্রতিরক্ষা গোয়েন্দা মহাপরিদপ্তর), commonly known as DGFI, is the military intelligence agency of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, tas ...
; the Junior Command Course at the
Army War College, Mhow
The Army War College, Dr.Ambedkar Nagar (A.W.C.) is a defence service training and research institution of the Indian Army located in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. It develops and evaluates concepts and doctrines for tactics and logistics for the army. ...
; South Asian Peace Keeping Course in Hawaii and the International Intelligence course in the USA. He was appointed
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
, 1 Military Intelligence Corps in November 2004. At the time of death he was also head of the Colombo Cell. Muthaliff had provided vital intelligence for major military operations such as
Operation Balavegaya
Operation Balavegaya (Operation Power force) was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan military in Jaffna, the largest amphibious assault in its history. Operation Balavegaya was launched in response to the siege of Elephant ...
,
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 ...
and provided Brigadier
Janaka Perera
Major General Janaka Perera, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, VSP, rcds, psc, CR (1 February 1946 – 6 October 2008) was a Sri Lankan General and politician. He served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and is considered one of the most d ...
with critical information forewarning him of the
LTTE attack on Weli Oya. The LTTE had attempted to assassinate Muthaliff in two previous occasions, with gunmen in Vavuniya and with a suicide bomber in Jaffna.
Assassination
Major Muthaliff was shot dead in his car by
LTTE
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
gunmen at Polhengoda junction in
Narahenpita
Narahenpita is a municipal ward of Colombo. Located at the South-Eastern corner and served by the Kelani Valley Railway Line
The Kelani Valley railway line in Sri Lanka, covering the breadth of Colombo District. The line is owned, maintained, ...
,
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
at 7:45 AM on 31 May 2005. He was traveling from his home in Manning Town, Narahenpita to the
Kotelawala Defence Academy
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) ( Sinhala: ජෙනරාල් ශ්රිමත් ජෝන් කොතලාවල ආරක්ෂක විශ්ව විද්යාලය ''General Sir John Kotelawala'' ''Ar ...
, where he was following a course in computer science. Traveling in an unmarked civilian car with a civilian chauffeur provided by the army, when gunmen had fired at Muthaliff who was shot multiple times while he was seated in the rear seat of the car; when it stopped at the traffic lights at the Polhengoda junction in front of the military police headquarters. The Sri Lanka Army accused the LTTE of the assassination.
In recognition of his service to the army, he was posthumously promoted to the rank of
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
with effect from 1 May 2005 and to the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
with effect from 31 May 2005. He was buried at the burial grounds of the Dehiwala Muhaideen Grand Jumma Mosque for Janaza on 1 June 2005 with full military honors.
Investigation
Police
Criminal Investigation Department
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is distinct from its Special Branch (though officers of b ...
investigations into the attacks on Generals
Sarath Fonseka
Field Marshal Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka ( si, ගාර්දිහේවා සරත් චන්ද්රලාල් ෆොන්සේකා, ta, சரத் பொன்சேகா; born 18 December 1950), commonly know ...
and
Parami Kulatunga
Lieutenant General Parami Sugandika Bandara Kulatunga, RSP, VSV, USP ( Sinhala:පාරමී කුලතුංග) (9 October 1951 in Kandy – 26 June 2006) was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer. He was serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff ...
, discovered LTTE links with
organized crime
Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
groups in Colombo and military personnel who had collaborated with the LTTE for money. Major Manamendra Dassanayake was convicted of aiding and abetting the LTTE in the assassinations of Lieutenant General Parami Kulathunga, Colonel
Tuan Rizli Meedin
Colonel Tuan Rizly Meedin (27 July 1966 – 29 October 2005) was a Sri Lanka Army officer and intelligence officer who, while serving as the Senior Staff Officer, RHQ, Military Intelligence Corps, was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers o ...
and Colone Tuan Nizam Muthaliff.
Awards and decorations
His gallantry in the battlefield and also through his work in intelligence earned him several awards, including the
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWP, Combat Gallantry Medal) ( Sinhala: රණ වික්රම පදක්කම) is awarded to Sri Lankan military service personnel serving in both the regular- and volunteer forces as a reward for:
Bars ...
. He also received the
,
North and East Operations Medal
The North and East Operations Medal ( Sinhala: උතුරු නැගෙනහිර සංග්රාමික පදක්කම ''uthuru nægenahira sangrāmika padakkama'') was a decoration presented to servicepersons of the Military o ...
,
Purna Bhumi Padakkama
The Purna Bhumi Padakkama ( Sinhala: පූර්ණ භූමි පදක්කම ''pūrna bhūmi padakkama'') was a service medal awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democ ...
,
Operation Wadamarachchi Medal,
Riviresa Campaign Services Medal
The Riviresa Campaign Services Medal ( Sinhala: රිවිරැස මෙහෙයුම් පදක්කම ''riviræsa meheyum padakkama'') was a campaign medal presented to all ranks of the regular and volunteer forces of the Military of ...
, and
50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal
The 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal ( Sinhala: ස්වර්ණ ජයන්ති පදක්කම ''swarna jayanthi padakkama'') was a military decoration awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces ...
for his service during the course of his military career.
Family
Muthaliff was married Kumudini Amarasinghe Muthaliff, who retired from the Sri Lanka Army in 2009 as a Lieutenant Colonel having served as the commanding officer,
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps. They had a daughter, Sarah and son, Maalik.
See also
*
Tuan Rizli Meedin
Colonel Tuan Rizly Meedin (27 July 1966 – 29 October 2005) was a Sri Lanka Army officer and intelligence officer who, while serving as the Senior Staff Officer, RHQ, Military Intelligence Corps, was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers o ...
References
SPURThe Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, No. 1,505 – FRIDAY, JULY 06, 2007, PART I : SECTION (I) – GENERAL
External links
Official Website of Sri Lanka ArmyMinistry of Defence, Sri LankaMIC-Military Intelligence Corps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muthaliff, Tuan Nizam
1966 births
2005 deaths
Sri Lankan colonels
Sri Lankan intelligence operatives
Alumni of D. S. Senanayake College
Pakistan Military Academy alumni
Assassinated military personnel
Assassinated Sri Lankan people
Deaths by firearm in Sri Lanka
Gemunu Watch officers
Military Intelligence Corps officers
Sri Lankan Malays
Sri Lankan Muslims
People killed during the Sri Lankan Civil War
Army War College, Mhow alumni