The Special Task Force (STF) (Sinhala: විශේෂ කාර්ය බලකාය Visesha Karya Balakaya; Tamil: சிறப்பு அதிரடிப் படை) is the tier one police tactical unit of the Sri Lanka Police specialising in anti-irregular military, apprehension of armed and dangerous criminals, clandestine and covert operations, combat and patrolling in urban areas, counterterrorism and hostage rescue crisis managements, crowd control, executive protection, high-risk tactical law enforcement situations, indirect fire for support operations, irregular warfare, operating in difficult to access terrain, protecting high-level meeting areas, search and rescue people who are in distress or imminent danger from disaster, support crowd control and riot control, tactical special operations, and other tasks requiring special training.

The STF is spearhead primarily involve anti-irregular military, counterinsurgency, counterterrorism and hostage rescue crisis managements, executive protection, high-risk tactical law enforcement situations, operating in difficult to access and extremely dangerous areas, protecting high-level meeting areas, serving high-risk arrest and search warrants, and special operations that are extremely high-risk and dangerous – as the most highly trained police organisation in Sri Lanka – it would be the lead unit whenever law enforcement forces engaged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The STF is internationally recognised for its expertise in these areas and it is often invited to assist foreign law enforcement agencies with planning major events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in dealing with possible terrorist threats.

[4] The STF was enhanced considerably in 1983 when former British Army Special Air Service (SAS) crack teams were brought in to provide specialised training in all aspects of counterinsurgency, counterterrorism and hostage rescue crisis managements, and executive protection.

In its first major operation since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in 2002, Special Task Force troops launched a limited offensive named "Definite Victory" (In Sinhala: නියතයිි ජය) on January 4, 2007 against LTTE rebels in the Kanchikudichcharu and Thoppigala south regions of the Ampara District, as a reaction to the child abductions in Bakmitiyawa, Ampara and abduction of two teachers and 23 Tamil children in December 2006 while they were returning from extra classes to their homes.

[17] After the fall of Stanly Base, STF troops were able to find an explosive laden truck and a motor cycle that the rebels were planning to use to carry out suicide attacks in the capital of Colombo.

STF also said that they also found a water tanker truck donated by, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) which is a front organisation of the LTTE, who collect funds especially in the United States and Canada purportedly for civilians, but actually for the militant group.