Says Sri Lankan military and Police can handle coronavirus threat effectively

Stresses no dialogue had been taken place between Sri Lanka and India to deploy Indian Army to Sri Lanka
Defence Secretary Maj.Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said there was no necessity to seek assistance from other countries to deploy their military to contain the spread of coronavirus in Sri Lanka.

He said Sri Lankan Tri-Forces and the Police had already proved their capabilities in containing the spread of coronavirus.

“Our military has already shown their expertise and professionalism in handling the emergency situation created under coronavirus threat,” he said.

The Defence Secretary said Sri Lanka would set an example to other countries, which were battling with coronavirus, on how a country could use its intelligence agencies with the military and health authorities effectively to control the spread of the highly infectious virus.

“Sri Lanka’s intelligence agencies have been used to trace people who are closely associated with coronavirus positive patients and also their whereabouts to direct them to the 14-days quarantine process,” he said.

The Defence Secretary referring to the recent news which said that Indian Army would be deployed in Sri Lanka to support country’s effort to control the spread coronavirus, he said there was no such dialogue had been taken place between the two nations.