Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP was a senior Sri Lankan Army officer who served in the 1971 Insurrection and the Sri Lankan Civil War.
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. In 2010, the Army had approximately 200,000 regular personnel, between 20,000 and 40,000 reserve (volunteer) personnel and 18,000 National Guardsmen and comprises 13 divisions, one air-mobile brigade, one commando brigade, one special forces brigade, one independent armored brigade, three mechanized infantry brigades and over 40 infantry brigades.
The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) provides the armour capability of the Sri Lanka Army, with vehicles such as the T-55AM2, and type 80/88 main battle tanks; the BMP infantry fighting vehicle; and the BTR-80, and WZ551 armoured personnel carriers. It comprises six regular armoured regiments, a volunteer regiment, and a regimental band. It has an independent Armoured Brigade and is headquartered at Rock House Army Camp, Colombo.
The Battle of Mullaitivu, also known as the First Battle of Mullaitivu and codenamed Operation Unceasing Waves-1, was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for control of the military base in Mullaitivu in north-eastern Sri Lanka.
The Second Battle of Elephant Pass, was a battle fought in April 2000 for the control of the Sri Lankan military base in Elephant Pass, Jaffna.
Major General Janaka Perera, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, VSP, rcds, psc, CR was a Sri Lankan General and politician. He served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and is considered one of the most distinguished generals in Sri Lankan history. After retiring from the army he served as a Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia and Ambassador to Indonesia. He was the opposition leader of the North Central Provincial Council until he and his wife were killed on 6 October 2008 by a suicide bomber. The LTTE have been blamed for the bombing by Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna (SFHQ-J) is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the Jaffna Peninsula in the Northern Province.
Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the southern part or the Vanni region of the Northern Province, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades. Currently due to ongoing combat operations it is the largest command in the country. It is one of the five Security Forces Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding it is one of the most senior officers in the army, the post is designated as Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Vanni. The current Commander SFHQ-W is Major General Hemantha Bandara. The SFHQ-W is based at the defense complex at Vavuniya.
General Jagath Jayasuriya, VSV, USP is a retired senior Sri Lanka Army general; he was the Chief of Defence Staff, the head of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces as a Full General from 1 August 2013 to 15 June 2015 and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, the head of the army as a Lieutenant General from 15 July 2009 to 31 July 2013. During the closing stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War, he served as the Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni with overall command of SLA offensives in the Wanni region during the 2008 - 2009 period. He was also the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Suriname from June 2014 to August 2017.
Security Forces Headquarters – Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN) was a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that was responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in Kilinochchi District, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades. This a new command established to maintain control over newly recaptured area. It was one of the five Security Forces Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding it is one of the most senior officers in the army, the post is designated as Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Kilinochchi. The SFHQ-KLN was based at Kilinochchi. It was disbanded in October 2021, having been replaced with the newly formed I Corps.
Security Forces Headquarters – Mullaitivu (SFHQ-MLT) is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in Mullaitivu District, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades. This a new command established to maintain control over newly recaptured area. It is one of the five Security Forces Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding it is one of the most senior officers in the army, the post is designated as Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaitivu. The current Commander SFHQ-MLT is Major General N A J C Dias WWV RWP RSP USP ndc. He assumed his duties as the Sixth Commander of the Security Force Headquarters (Mullaitivu) on 8 January 2014. The SFHQ-MLT is based at Mullaitivu.
Major General Nandana Udawatta, RSP, USP, psc, SLAC is a Sri Lankan general. He has served as the Master General Ordnance, Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna, Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaittivu and was the general officer commanding, 59 Division during the SLA offensives in the Wanni region during 2008 - 2009 period that led to a major victory for the SLA over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Sri Lankan civil war.
Major General Athula Jayawardane, RSP, USP, ndc, SLA was a Sri Lankan army general, who was the former Commander Security Forces Headquarters – Mullaitivu (SFHQ-MLT); Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN); Director General Rehabilitation; Master-General of the Ordnance; Director Operations, General Staff; GOC, 21 Division; Brigade Commander, Artillery Brigade, 551 Infantry Brigade and 215 Infantry Brigade. He was also the military attaché to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington, D.C.
General Lionel Piyananda Balagalle RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, VSP was a senior Sri Lankan army general. He served as Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Chief of the Defence Staff.
Major General Channa Gunathilaka, RSP, USP, ndc, psc, SLE was a senior general of the Sri Lanka Army, who was the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. He was the former Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, Security Force Commander (Central), Military Secretary, Security Force Commander (Kilinochchi), GOC - 56th Infantry Division, GOC - Mannar.
Major General Galwaduge Janaka Laksiri Waduge, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndu is a retired Sri Lankan army general. He was the 10th Commander Security Forces Headquarters – Central and the former Colonel commandant of Military Intelligence Corps. He retired from active service in 2020 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 55 for Sri Lankan Armed Forces Personnel.
Major General Jagath Gunawardena, RSP, VSV, USP was a Sri Lankan senior army general. He was the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Army, having served as the Commandant of the Volunteer Force, Commander, Security Forces Headquarters – Wanni and Master General of Ordnance. He served as the Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Engineers.
Major general Prasanna Chandrasekera, is a retired Sri Lankan Army general. He was the former Master-General of the Ordnance of the Sri Lankan Army, During the Sri Lankan civil war he was the Brigade Commander, 65 Division of the Kilinochchi District.
