The Sri Lankan navy concluded a military exercise in Trincomalee last week, held in order to “improve preparedness for an array of terrorist attacks”.
The Table Top Exercise (TTX 2017) saw Sri Lanka’s Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Special Task Force amongst others participate in order to “improve preparedness for an array of terrorist attacks including sea borne attacks, chemical release, bombings of every size and countenance”.
The latest exercise takes place after the United States military concluded its first-ever Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise for Sri Lankan soldiers, which included training in “anti-terrorism security” in Trincomalee in October.
Tens of thousands of Sri Lankan troops remain stationed in the Tamil North-East, despite the armed conflict on the island ending almost nine years ago. A recent by Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research and People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) in October concluded that in the Mullaitivu district alone, there was approximately one soldier for every two civilians.
