The coffins carrying the remains Major H.W.D. Jayawickrama and Sergeant S.S. Wijekumara who made the supreme sacrifice while serving the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali (MINUSUMA) were brought to Sri Lanka yesterday evening. State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake, UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer and MINUSMA Force Commander Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporr were present at the BIA, Katunayake. Picture by Kumarasiri Prasad, Airport Correspondent
The remains of two Army personnel who made supreme sacrifice while serving the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali (MINUSUMA) were brought to Sri Lanka yesterday evening
The remains of Major H.W.D. Jayawickrama and Sergeant S.S.Wijekumara were formally received by the Sri Lanka Army at the Bandaranaike International Airport.
The solemn red-carpet ceremony was held to pay tribute to the invaluable overseas service, both of them performed on behalf of all Sri Lankans.
MINUSMA Force Commander Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporre,formally handed over both UN flag-draped coffins to the Army Commander Lt.Gen.Mahesh Senanayake. Parade troopers had later in conformity with military traditions after draping the coffins with Sri Lankan National Flags handed those UN flags back to the visiting MINUSMA Force Commander, symbolizing the formal acceptance on the part of the Troop Contributing Country (TCC).
Both coffins were later laid on gun carriages and troops presented a salute before being taken to the Negombo Hospital for post-mortem and other formalities.
State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene, the next of kin of fallen War Heroes, UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer, Commandant, Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) Maj.Gen.J.R Kulathunga and Colonel of the Regiment of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI), Maj.Gen. Niyshshanka Ranawana were present.
Major Mats Ivarsson, Aide De Camp to the Force Commander, Victor Berggern and Petter Storm Macs were the other members of the UN MINUSMA delegation who arrived here with the coffins, in addition to a few MINUSMA serving Sri Lankan Officers.