KKS incident : SLN contradicts Indian claim

Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Sampath Thuyacontha yesterday (29) said the government wouldn’t retain the Office of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

The Defence Secretary said so responding to a media query at a hastily arranged press conference, at the Defence Ministry, called to explain the circumstances that led to two Indian fishers receiving gunshot injuries during an accidental firing of a weapon on Monday night (27) in the Kankesanthurai seas.

The wartime Commanding Officer of the famed 09 Mi-24 helicopter squadron said that the Defence Ministry would carry out the responsibilities related to that post.

AVM Thuyacontha set the record straight in the wake of speculative reports regarding the likelihood of the NPP government appointing recently retired Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksha to the post of CDS.

Former Army Commander General Shavendra Silva served as the last CDS.

Addressing journalists, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda emphasised that it was an accidental discharge of a weapon in Sri Lankan waters. The Navy Chief explained that personnel boarded the poaching Indian trawler after it ignored orders to leave the area. According to him, the injuries were minor and immediate action was taken to provide them medical treatment.

However, the Indian High Commission alleged that five fishermen received injuries and two of them suffered serious wounds.

Meanwhile all 13 fishermen, who had been arrested by the Navy, were remanded till 10 February by the Mallakam Magistrate.

Two of them are receiving treatment at the KKS hospital.