Contrary to various local and foreign reports about the death of three Sri Lankan ex-military personnel in Ukraine last week, the Army said that one of the deceased identified as Captain Ranish Hewage of 1st Commando Regiment had been a Second Lieutenant of the Light Infantry, cashiered in 2012.

The Army said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had withdrawn Hewage’s commission on Sept 12, 2012. Having passed out from the Military Academy in 2009, when the war against the LTTE was brought to a successful conclusion, Hewage served the First Battalion of Light Infantry. The Army withdrew his commission three years later.

The Army said that Hewage hadn’t served as a commando or a Special Forces combatant during the war and there was no basis for claims to that effect. (SF)