Colombo, Sep 9: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday visited the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) memorial in Colombo and paid homage to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the call of duty.
Singh arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday on a three-day visit.
“Visited to the IPKF memorial in Colombo and paid homage to our valiant soldiers who laid down their lives in the call of duty. The nation will never forget their supreme sacrifice. They will remain a source of inspiration for the generations to come,” the minister posted on X.
The IPKF was a military contingent sent by India to Sri Lanka in July 1987 as part of efforts to disarm the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist militant organisation, and maintain peace and stability in the region.
The memorial pays tribute to the 1,155 Indian soldiers who served in the IPKF and made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Singh also visited the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence and interacted with the senior military leadership of the country.
“During my visit to the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka, I had an opportunity to interact with the senior military leadership of Sri Lanka. Many of them have been trained in India and share a close bond with Bharat,” he said in a post on X.
“In my brief remarks, I underscored the vision MAHASAGAR for ‘mutual’ and ‘holistic’ growth and reiterated our desire to further strengthen the longstanding India-Sri Lanka defence and strategic partnership with special emphasis on maritime cooperation,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Singh met Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and held discussions on issues covering the multi-faceted partnership between the two countries, including ways to ensure the safety, security, peace and prosperity of the region. (PTI)
