THE 3rd (V) VIJAYABAHU INFANTRY REGIMENT

RAISING OF THE BATTALION

With the support of His Excellency the President Ranasinghe Premadasa, the 3rd Battalion Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment as a unit of the Volunteer Force was uplifted on 07.03.1989 by the Extraordinary Gazette Notification of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka dated 04.03.1989. Authorization to launch the unit officially at Sandunpura,Dehiattakandiya Village in the Mahaweli "C" Zone by Order 23/89 issued by the Commander of the Army, Lt General Hamilton Wanasinghe

The unit was started with 06 officers and 99 other ranks from various volunteer units, and at present the battalion has been able to recruit 89 officers and 740 other ranks. Lt Col SD Lankadeva KSV VIR was the first Commanding Officer of the Battalion to successfully carry out operational and administrative duties.

This unit has commenced its journey in the village of Sandunpura, Dehiattakandiya for 31 consecutive years.

GAZETTE NOTIFICATION

LOCATIONS WHERE THE BATTALION HAS BEEN DEPLOYED UP TO NOW

ACHIEVEMENTS

Troops were advancing with Rivirasa operation and took over the forward defenses of Valvettithurai, Point Pedro area on 06.07.1996 from the 9th SLLI battalion. On the 10th, a LTTE commander Wannifrom the Valvettithurai area was killed in an ambush it was carried out by unit intelligence group.

On 14.12.1999, while on patrol from Puttur to Wemnarai, two people on a motorcycle were preparing to search the area when the troops attacked the area and fled. And a Hero Honda motorcycle were seized.

While the 3rd Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment was stationed in the Kalmunai area in Ampara, the Easter Sunday attack launched by a group of Muslim extremists a few decades after the end of the war in Sri Lanka was able to captivate the minds of the people of Sri Lanka. However, while investigating the attack carried out by the extremists, information provided by the Sri Lanka Army Intelligence revealed that the extremist leader was hiding in the Bolivarian village in Sahindamarudu.According to intelligence sources, a search and operation was carried out after the attack.

TERRORISTS INCLUDING EXTREMIST MILITANTS (SAHARAN) IN THE BOLIVARIAN VILLAGE OF SAHINDAMARUDU ON 21.04.2019

After the Easter Sunday attack by the extremist militants on 21.04.2019, the unit and its commander was on his way to the Bolivarian village of Sahindamarudu on 26.04.2019 to arrest those involved in the attack. At one point, troops launched a counter attack and 15extremist cadres were killed during the incident.

In a subsequent Search Operation conducted in the area and troops were able to recover the following explosives and other items from the terrorists' possession.

Motorcycles with two suicide bombs.

• Every type of van - 01
• T56 Firearms - 01
• T56 Magazine - 01
• Detonator - 300
• 9D Battery - 02
• Electronic Circuits - 06
• GELIGNITE BAR - 200
• Bodies found at the scene of the bomb blast - 15
• Injuries found at the scene of the explosion – 02

COMMANDING OFFICERS OF THE UNIT

O/1423 Lt Col SD Lankadeva KSV VIR

O/1534 Major PDB de Silva KSV VIR

O/2273 Major PBCD Buwaneka Bandara VIR

O/2588 Major WMD Gunasena VIR

O/2398 Major MDBNPB Rambukwella VIR

O/2917 Major RM Wijeratne VIR

O/3110 Lt Col DHKS Wijeratne VIR

O/3422 Lt Col WB Panditha RSP VIR

O/3382 Lt Col LJMCP Jayasundara VIR

O/5446 Major WR Dharmasena VIR

O/5646 Major DGWMSP Wijekoon psc VIR

SECOND IN COMMANDS

O/1534 Major PDB de Silva KSV VIR

O/1776 Major ATD Dananjaya VIR

O/2401 Major GKB Dissanayake VIR

O/2859 Major KKKG Magnus VIR

O/2590 Major PA Dayananda RSP VIR

O/2398 Major MWNPB Rambukwella VIR

O/2859 Major KKKG Magnus GW

O/2987 Major HMP Jayathilaka VIR

O/3110 Major DHKS Wijeratne VIR

O/3274 Major GS Amarasinghe VIR

O/3419 Major HS Perera VIR

O/3741 Major DAS Kumara VIR

O/5446 Major WR Dharmasena VIR

O/5172 Major SHA Kumara VIR

O/5818 Major RMKB Ratnayake RSP VIR

O/6147 Major SH Sudusinghe VIR

O/6192 Major MKMR Deshapriya VIR

ADJUTANTS OF THE BATTALION

O/2398 Lt MWNPB Rambukwella VIR

O/2273 Capt GDBCD Buwaneka

O/3196 Lt RMJK Ratnayake VIR

O/3274 Capt GS Amarasinghe VIR

O/3741 Capt DAS Kumara VIR

O/3718 Capt HTC Upul VIR

O/4993 Capt WMTB Weerakoon VIR

O/5446 Capt WR Dharmasena VIR

O/5739 Capt GSAI Roshan VIR

Capt RMKB Ratnayake VIR

O/6145 Capt WMAM Jayaratne VIR

O/8526 2 / Lt PMAPB Samarakoon VIR

O/8682 Lt DMRTK Dassanayake

O/7458 Capt HMW Pemasiri VIR

O/8949 Capt WAMG Chathuranga VIR

O/9818 Capt MMGDI Marasinghe VIR

O/10327 Capt MGS Dharmasena VIR

INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS OF THE BATTALION

O/3271 Capt LDK Fernando VIR

O/4556 Lt GHS Rupasinghe VIR

O/4995 Capt MRA Udugama VIR

O/4911 Capt WASS Bandara VIR

O/5818 Capt RMKB Ratnayake RSP VIR

O/6145 Capt WMAM Jayaratne RSP VIR

O/6192 Lt MKMR Deshapriya VIR

O/7458 2 $ Lt HMW Premasiri VIR

O/9818 Capt MMGDI Marasinghe VIR

O/9879 Capt PMB Abeyratne VIR

O/10680 Lt KMSDB Kulasekara VIR

REGIMENT SERGEANT MAJORS OF THE BATTALION

S/3H00831 WO I UB Jayatilake

S/3H 00841 WO I WA Henry

S/3H01252 WO I RAN Ranaweera

S/3H00832 WO II Samarajeewa NG (Acting)

S/3H00799 WO I RM Ratnayake

S/3H00857 WO I HK Sumanasiri

S/3H00871 WO I DM Karunatilake

S/H100593 WO I DMP Dissanayake

S/3H01905 WO I SALS Dissanayake KSP