Lt Gen Shavendra Silva in Jaffna Recalls Bitter Memories & LTTE Atrocities during Troop Address

The Chief of Defence Staff, Commander of the Army and Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID - 19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva as the last segment of his two-day visit to the Jaffna peninsula this afternoon (18) addressed a cross section of tri service troops at the Security Force Headquarters-Jaffna (SFHQ-J) in Palaly and kept ground troops informed of developments as regards prevention of COVID - 19 Outbreak, community service projects and security concerns in the peninsula and other general matters.

The Commander Security Forces - Jaffna, Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya, Commander North of the Navy and Commanding Officer Air Force North warmly received the visiting Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army on arrival in accordance with military formalities. In his address to the troops, Lieutenant General Silva thanked Major General Ruwan Wanigasooriya, Rear Admiral S.M.D.K Samaraweera, Commander North-Navy and Group Captain A.V Jayasekara, Commanding Officer Air Force Station Camp Palaly for organizing this meeting and recalled glimpses of the past history of the Jaffna peninsula before May 2009. He mentioned the atrocities, perpetrated by LTTE terrorists at that time and how troops valiantly as members of one family under the able guidance of the then Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa faced their threats.

Commenting on the COVID-19 control machinery jointly launched by tri services, he added that all tri servicemen have been doing a wonderful service hand in hand with Health authorities for the best interest of the Nation from the day one the task was entrusted to the armed forces by HE the President and the Prime Minister keeping full confidence in the troops. Like how you supported the fight against the LTTE, we need to control and eradicate COVID-19 pandemic with the same degree of support, he said.

“Your duty roles here in the peninsula are much more prominent than anywhere else both at local and international levels. Similarly, Secretary Defence is all the time dedicated to multiply your welfare reliefs. Taking the motto, ‘unity is strength’, we are able to proceed doing a lot of things as nothing is impossible for a brave soldier,” Lieutenant General Silva pointed out.url clone | Air Max