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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

India's Southern Army Command Calls on Commander of the Army

Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command of the Indian Army, now in Sri Lanka on a five-day goodwill visit, called on Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army Monday (12) morning at the Commander’s office, Army Headquarters, Colombo 3.

Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh’s five-member delegation is comprised of Mrs Suneeti Singh, Brigadier Rahul Bhardwaj and his spouse, Mrs Jyothi Bhardwaj and Colonel Natarajan Subramaniam, Military Assistant to the visiting Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh.

Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh during cordial discussions with the Sri Lankan Army Chief at Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya’s office, recalled sound and mutual bonds of friendship that exist between both military organizations and discussed matters of bilateral importance.

Possibilities for further expansion of training modules and exchange of different training programmes for junior officers with Sri Lanka were taken up for discussion during the brief meeting. It also centered on possibilities of receiving more and more training slots for Sri Lankan officers in Indian military training establishments, in addition to already ongoing different training programmes.

The visiting Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh underlining the importance of further broadening bilateral understanding and goodwill among officers serving both Armies, made inquiries into ongoing training sessions in relation to some specific areas of study in the Sri Lankan Army.

Towards the end of the interaction, Lieutenant General Jayasuriya presented a special memento to Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command of the Indian Army after he placed his signature on the VIP book at Commander’s office. Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh reciprocated and offered his sincere thanks to the Sri Lankan Army before he left the Army Headquarters to attend the remainder of the day’s itinerary.

Defence Attaché at Indian High Commission was also associated with the meeting at the Commander’s office.

Afterwards, a special presentation, organized by the Directorate of Operations offered the visiting delegation with a broad spectrum of details with regard to recently concluded humanitarian operations and status quo in the North and East in the aftermath of the war.

Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh during his stay is scheduled to call on Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence and Urban Development, Chief of Defence Staff, Navy and Air Force Commanders, Jaffna Security Forces Commander, Wanni Security Forces Commander, Governor for Northern Province and the High Commissioner for India.

The visiting delegation on Monday (12) evening was scheduled to place floral wreaths at the IPKF War Memorial at Battaramulla and pay respect to the memory of fallen IPKF soldiers in Sri Lanka.

Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh, an alumnus from National Defence Academy was commissioned into the 7th Light Cavalry on 17th June 1973 and received professional military knowledge from prestigious training academies both in India and abroad. The General has commanded 7th Cavalry, a T-90 tank Brigade, an Armoured Division and the most powerful strike 1 (Corps). The General has the distinction of conceiving and executing some of the largest ever manouvers in recent times, including two landmark exercises; Yodha Shakthi in 2010 and the recently held Exercise Sudarshan Shakthi which displayed the might of the Indian Army and Air Force in the Thar Desert. 

His decorations include Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.