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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

Jaffna Tour of the Visiting Southern Command Enlightens Him on Status Quo


General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Southern Army Command Lieutenant General Ashok Singh, now in Sri Lanka, flew to Jaffna on Thursday (20) with a view to paying a courtesy call on Security Force Commander, Jaffna (SFHQ-J), Major General Udaya Perera.

After he was received by Major General Perera, the visiting Army Chief had a round of discussion with the SFHQ-J Commander at the SFHQ-J auditorium where visiting delegation was provided with a full account of the current developments in the peninsula and different humanitarian and development projects, being pursued by the SFHQ-J troops for the greater good of the Jaffna populace.

After a few minutes, Lieutenant General Singh, accompanied by Major General Perera made a point to pay his respect to IPKF soldiers, perished in the battle against LTTE terrorists.

The IPKF monument at Palaly Air Force Base was the venue for the solemn ceremony on Thursday (20). It was at this place LTTE terrorists gunned down 33 para troopers of the 10 Para Regiment of the IPKF during heli-landing at the adjacent University of Jaffna ground on 11th October 1987 while the IPKF were in search of LTTE terrorists hiding in the university buildings.

Although firing at para troopers before their landing was a blatant violation of the Geneva Convention in 1949, LTTE terrorists were not either indicted or sentenced for that crime due to prevailing circumstances at that time.

After wreath-laying ceremony, the visiting Southern Army Chief visited Nallur Kovil, Jaffna Fort, Jaffna Library and Jaffna City towards the end of the day’s programme. An exchange of mementos brought his Jaffna tour to an end.