UPDATE : Flight arrangements delay dispatching of Lankan peacekeeping personnels’ remains

The remains of two Lankan peackeeping personnel which were expected to be flown into the country today (Feb 02) have been delayed due to flight arrangements.

Remains of Lankan peacekeeping personnel to be received today

The remains of two Sri Lankan peacekeeping personnel who were killed in Mali will be received at the Bandaranaike International Airport at 3:10 pm today (Jan 02).

Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake, UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer, and several other key officials will receive the remains of the posthumously promoted Major H.W.D. Jayawickrama and Sergeant S.S. Wijekumara with a military parade.

The coffins would be draped in UN flags and handed over to the Army Commander and the Director General of the Personnel Administration at the airport, the Army said in a press release.

The UN flags would be handed over to visiting MINUSMA Force Commander, Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllisporre after draping the coffins with the Sri Lankan flags.

A post-mortem examination on the bodies would be carried out at the Negombo Hospital.

The military funerals for both UN peacekeepers would take place at their residences in Polonnaruwa and Polpithigama.