Colombo, Dec 21: Lauding the Sri Lankan military as a "shining example" of courage, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that it had come a long way from confronting the LTTE suicide bombers to capturing key rebel-held areas even as he cautioned against "unscrupulous" elements trying to destroy the nation in the "garb" of rights activists.

"They (Sri Lankan forces) have overcome many arduous tasks and all daunting challenges before them, from suicide bombers to chemical weapons and inclement weather conditions," he said.  

They were defeating the rebels "slowly but steadily, by re-capturing every inch of land from them," the Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces told a commissioning parade at the Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa yesterday. 

Rajapaksa also cautioned against "unscrupulous" elements who could even exist in the guise of human right activists, trying to "destroy" the nation. "Beware of invisible forces." 

"The armed enemies have been well identified as lethal and should be wiped out by our gallant armed forces. But some unscrupulous elements may act in diverse and subtle ways," he said. "They could be even disguised in the garb of human rights activists", the 'Sunday Observer' quoted him as saying.  

"These parties too, should be recognised and dealt with accordingly as otherwise, these enemies may ultimately have a greater impact and cause more harm and destruction to our motherland". 

At the event, 151 officer cadets, including 25 women, were commissioned by President. As many as 64 Regular Officer Cadets and Volunteer Officer Cadets were also commissioned.