Category: Defense

November 2, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka summoned the United States ambassador in Colombo on Monday to protest over US plans to quiz the island’s military commander about alleged war crimes, a report said.The report covered the period from January — when fighting intensified — until the end of May, when Sri Lankan troops defeated […]

November 2, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka protested Monday against plans by US officials to quiz its top military commander over alleged war crimes committed during the final months of the war with Tamil Tiger rebels.The US plan to interview Fonseka followed the recent publication of a US State Department dossier outlining allegations of serious […]

OTTAWA, October 22, 2009 (AFP) – One of 76 migrants arrested on a rusted ship off Canada’s Pacific Coast is wanted in Sri Lanka on terror charges, a source close to the investigation said Thursday.The 26-year-old man, whose identity was withheld due to a court-ordered publication ban, is being sought by Sri Lankan authorities who […]

Oct 10, 2009 (LBO) – The Indian and Sri Lankan navies held a three-day joint exercise in the seas off Colombo earlier this week to train officer cadets and practice manoeuvres for maritime security operations.The manoeuvres included flights by an Indian navy light helicopter which dropped supplies on two Sri Lankan navy patrol vessels to […]

October 9, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has raised its defence expenditure by another 20 percent this year following its military victory over separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. Parliament late Thursday approved an additional 33 billion rupees (287 million dollars) to pay for hardware and beef up security in former conflict zones. At the beginning of […]

October 3, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police on Saturday arrested a soldier from a bomb disposal unit over the bombing of a school van which killed a student and wounded 12 others, an official said.The soldier was taken into custody following Friday’s attack in Kurunegala, 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital Colombo, […]

October 2, 2009 (AFP) – An explosion ripped through a school bus in northwestern Sri Lanka on Friday, killing one girl and wounding 11 other students and their driver, police said. The incident took place in Kurunegala district, 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital Colombo, a police spokesman said, adding an investigation was […]

October 2, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military has formally discharged nearly 25,000 security personnel who deserted the army at the height of fighting with Tamil rebels, officials said Friday.Military officials said some 20,000 troops in the army and about 5,000 from the navy and air force had been taken off the books of their […]

September 20, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka is seeking foreign money for an ambitious plan to rehabilitate tens of thousands of former Tamil Tiger rebels and has already collected 23 million dollars, officials said Sunday. The Tamil Tigers, who fought for a separate homeland from 1972, were defeated by Sri Lankan troops in mid-May when […]

September 11, 2009 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan court on Friday released on bail two members of the Tamil Tiger rebel group who gave themselves up a month before the military leadership of their movement was wiped out, officials said.Court officials said former Tiger spokesman Velayudam Dayanidi, better known as Daya Master, and a top […]

Sept 09, 2009 (LBO) – The United States military’s Pacific Command is providing training and equipment to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to helps it clear landmines in the island’s former war zone, the US embassy said. This training will build additional SLA capacity to clear mines in the Northern Province and expedite the safe […]

Sept 05, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s navy commissioned 90 officers and an offshore patrol vessel last weekend as it continues to expand, having defeated the powerful Tamil Tiger naval wing.Senior defence officials said the navy’s future focus will be on protecting the island’s ocean resources and patrolling the surrounding seas to ensure terrorism, which […]