Sergeant Bandara HGS of 4th Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment was awarded with Parama Weera Vibhushana the highest gallantry award that can be awarded to a member of the Armed Forces for his bravery and selfless deeds in the face of the enemy.
Sergeant Bandara was commanding an ambush party of 8 soldier on May 2009 at Nanthikadal Lagoon estuary. At 0300 hours the ambush party observed movements in front and identified a group of 150 - 200 terrorist crossing through the lagoon towards the forward Defence Line. Sergeant Bandara HGS immediately brought down indirect fire on the terrorist group causing heavy causalities on them. Soon a pitch gun battle erupted. The ambush party had encountered the terrorist supermoms group which was a David - Goliath battle between the small ambush party and the heavily armed terrorists.
The fighting spirit displayed by the Senior Non Commissioned Officer was historic and heroic. The complete ambush party was injured including sergeant Bandara HGS. But he refused to withdraw back. Instead he sent his wounded comrades back and got down another group to continue the fight. He led the troops to deliver a deadly attack on the terrorists. With the attack the terrorists were completely destroyed. Sergeant Bandara HGS succumbed to his injuries. However he has completed the task that an entire nation was expecting for thirty years. He had killed the leader of the terrorists along with more 34 top level terrorist’s leaders. Terrorism on Sri Lanka soil was brought to an end. The terrorist juggernaut was brought to a still. The history would have been completely different had the terrorists escaped that fateful day.
For this un matching glorious sacrifice this Senior Commissioned Officer of the 4th Battalion Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment had done he was awarded with Parama Weera Vibhushanaya Medal posthumously.
