Defence Secretary visits Jaffna, meets SLA, SLN commanders

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 April 2006, 11:30 GMT]
Secretary of Defense and Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother, Gothabaya Rajapakse, arrived at Palaly airport in a special Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aircraft Friday, and met with senior commanders of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA), sources in Jaffna said.

The group later arrived at the Duraiyappah stadium in three SLAF helicopters and proceeded to the 52-4 Brigade Head Quarters located in Gnanam and Subash Hotels where Mr Rajapakse spent half an hour briefing to Senior SLA officers stationed in Jaffna, security sources said.

Mr Rajapakse had wanted to see the security situation on the ground and to update the SLA, SLN officials of the latest thinking of Colombo on the forthcoming peace talks in Geneva, a military sources said.