Army Commander, CDS visit Thoppigala

THOPPIGALA: Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Donald Perera and Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka flew to Thoppigala yesterday to express their gratitude to the valiant troops and all other service personnel.

They were received by Brigadier C. Gallage, Commander of Commando Brigade that captured the centre of Thoppigala. They first reached Illuppadichenai where the visiting military chiefs met senior officers serving the area and praised them for their valour and dedication.

They spoke to senior officers and instructed them to continue follow-up clearing operations and assist and coordinate with authorities in launching subsequent development plans upon clearing of minefields and booby traps.

Their second stop was the rocky plateau, Ruchiramale, where LTTE terrorists had their Nagesh base. The Commander spoke to his soldiers, congratulating them on their dedication and commitment to the Motherland.

Both Perera and Fonseka lauded their contribution to salvage the country from the grip of terrorism during these meetings before they saw for themselves a few buildings that had been used by the LTTE for their terrorist acts.