Parakrama Pannipitiya

Last updated
Parakrama Pannipitiya
Allegiance Sri Lanka
Service/branch Sri Lanka Army
Rank Major General
Unit Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
Commands held Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East
Battles/wars Sri Lankan Civil War,
Insurrection 1987-89
Awards Rana Wickrama Padakkama,
Rana Sura Padakkama,
Uttama Seva Padakkama

Major General Parakrama Pannipitiya, RWP, RSP, USP is a former Sri Lankan army general, who was the former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East (SF HQ (E)). Under his command the Sri Lankan army units successfully concluded the Eastern Theater of operations in the Sri Lankan Civil War defeating the LTTE in the Eastern Province.

Shortly after the military victory in the Eastern Theater, Major General Pannipitiya had a fallout with the then army commander Sarath Fonseka, who had him arrested on misappropriating military assets. A submission of a violation of fundamental rights petitions and the following court martial cleared him of rough doing and he was appointed as Director of Operations 11th Division.

Educated at Royal College, Colombo, he joined the army after leaving school and was commissioned into the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment as a Second Lieutenant. He later graduated from staff college gaining the psc qualification.

He was awarded the Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWP), Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP) for combat bravery and the service medals Uttama Seva Padakkama (USP), the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal, the Riviresa Campaign Services Medal, the Purna Bhumi Padakkama and the North and East Operations Medal.

Military offices
Preceded by
Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East
2007 - 2008
Succeeded by


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parami Kulatunga</span> Sri Lankan army general

Lieutenant General Parami Sugandika Bandara Kulatunga, RSP, VSV, USP was a Sri Lanka Army general. He was serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and its third highest-ranking officer at the time of his assassination. On the morning of 26 June, he was killed by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber who drove an explosives laden motorbike into his staff car as it was driving to a military base at Pannipitiya near Colombo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka Signals Corps</span> Military unit

The Sri Lanka Signals Corps (SLSC) is a combat support corps of the Sri Lanka Army, responsible for providing military communications, information technology and electronic warfare support. The corps is made up of a signals brigade, ten regular regiments and one volunteer regiment. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. It is headquartered at the Panagoda Cantonment.

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 Percy Fernando, RWP, RSP, psc, CR was a Sri Lankan Army officer, who was the Deputy GOC, 54 Division based at Elephant Pass and prior to which he was the brigade commander of the independent Special Forces Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. A. Chandrasiri</span> Sri Lankan army general, politician

Major General Gammanpila Arachchige Chandrasiri, RWP, USP, ndc, psc, SLAC was a Sri Lankan senior army general and a provincial governor. He is the Governor of Northern Province. He was the former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna ; General Officer Commanding, 52 Division;, Director General - General Staff, Joint Operations Headquarters; Brigade Commander Armoured Brigade, and Commander, Area Headquarters Mannar.

Major General M.C. Mendaka. P. Samarasinghe, RWP, RSP, USP, ndc, psc, SLE was a Sri Lankan general and former Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Army and also the former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna; he was also the General Officer Commanding, 22 Division.

General Shantha H.S. Kottegoda, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP is a retired senior Sri Lanka Army general. He was the seventeenth Commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 1 July 2004 – 5 December 2005. He had served as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil and Thailand. In April 2019, following the Easter Sunday bombings he was appointed as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence.

Major General Gemunu Kulatunge, RSP, USP, ndc, psc (1941-2003) was a Sri Lankan army general, who was the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.

Major General Devinda Kalupahana, RSP, USP, psc, SLAC was a Sri Lankan army general, who was the former GOC, 3 Division; GOC, 2 Division; Director Operations, General Staff and Commandant, Sri Lanka Military Academy.

Air Vice Marshal Ravi Arunthavanathan, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, psc, SLAF was the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force and current Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence.

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.

Major General Deshamanya Asoka Kanthilal Jayawardena, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, was a Sri Lankan army general and politician. He was the former Provincial Governor of the Governor of North Eastern Province and Secretary to the Minister of Defence.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Wijayaratne</span> Sri Lankan Army general

Major General Chulabhaya Lakshman 'Lucky' Wijayaratne RWP, RSP, M.Sc, LI was a Sri Lankan army officer, who was one of the most distinguished Generals in the Sri Lanka army. Major General Wijayaratne died on 18 December 1990 at the 10th milepost along Trincomalee-Anuradhapura road due to a landmine explosion. He was the commander of 22 brigade based in Trincomalee at the time of his death and played a pivotal role in the government’s counter terrorism offensive in the district. Major General Wijayaratne was the senior most Sri Lankan military officer to die from a LTTE attack up to that time.

General R. M. Daya Ratnayake, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP is a retired Sri Lanka Army general. He was the 20th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from 2013 to 2015 and is the current Secretary to the Ministry of Industries and former Chairman, Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

General Chandrika Srilal Weerasooriya, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP was a senior Sri Lankan army general. He was the 15th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army and a former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan.

Air Chief Marshal Oliver Matthew Ranasinghe, RWP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc was the 9th Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crishantha de Silva</span> Sri Lanka Army general

General Akurathiya Withanage Jagath Crishanthe de Silva, RWP, USP is a former senior Sri Lanka Army general and military engineer. He had served as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from 22 February 2015 to 4 July 2017, as the Chief of Defence Staff from 29 June 2017 to 21 August 2017. Later he was appointed as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP is a Sri Lankan military physician. He is the Secretary to the Ministry of Health and former Director General, Army Health Services and Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps.

Major General A. K. Sumedha Perera, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP is a retired Sri Lankan general. He is the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development; and former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.