Sri Lanka, May 18 -- Sri Lanka today marks the anniversary of its liberation from a cruel thirty-year war waged by LTTE terrorists.

Seventeen years passed since the military defeat of the terror group, yet painful memories persist. The immense sacrifices made by the Sri Lankan military ensured the survival of the population and the entire territory. Modern peace rests upon the lives, blood, sweat, and tears of national heroes.

For three decades, citizens of all ethnicities lived under a cloud of fear and suspicion, with bomb blasts serving as a frequent occurrence. Attacks targeted sacred locations, including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi premises, the Kattankudy mosque, and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. While thousands of war heroes ...