The Hindu : Front Page : Homage paid to IPKF martyrs in Sri Lanka

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Tuesday, Sep 07, 2010
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Homage paid to IPKF martyrs in Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: The visiting Army Chief V.K. Singh on Monday offered floral tributes at the memorial for the soldiers and officers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) who lost their lives fighting the LTTE in the late 80s.

General Singh, who is currently on a five-day official trip, is the first Indian Army Chief to pay homage at the memorial since its erection in 2008. As many as 1,065 officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives to preserve the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka.

“I appreciate from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of the entire Indian Army, our gratitude to the government of Sri Lanka for this memorial to pay homage to the brave martyrs of the IPKF who laid down their lives from 1987 to 1989,” wrote the Army chief in the visitors' book.

Earlier in the day, Gen. Singh called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne, and held discussions on matters related to defence cooperation with Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the three service chiefs.

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