Sri Lanka’s armed forces ran programmes in Tamil schools and preschools, organised Buddhist ceremonies on the islands off Jaffna and in Vavuniya, led flood drills and evacuations in Mannar and detained dozens of fishermen along the North-East coast during October, according to the military’s own reports.
The Navy and Air Force also expanded leisure and welfare facilities at their Trincomalee bases and hosted Chinese, New Zealand and UN officials, while the Army handed over 6.97 acres from inside a divisional headquarters in Mullaitivu. This edition also includes several reports published in early September that were not covered in the previous edition.
Army brings World Children’s Day to Periyamadu school
Troops of 10 (Volunteer) Gemunu Watch and 5 (Volunteer) Mechanized Infantry Regiment distributed school equipment to 122 pupils at Periyamadu (West) Maha Vidyalaya in Mannar on 1 October, under the direction of the 541 Infantry Brigade and 54 Infantry Division.
The Army said the programme was run under the “Clean Sri Lanka” project. Its named sponsors included the Provincial Buddhist Commissioner for the Central Province. Photographs published by the Army show pupils lined up to receive uniformed officers, who then presided over the school’s Children’s Day ceremony.
Pupils receive Army officers at Periyamadu (West) Maha Vidyalaya, Mannar, on 1 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
A pupil receives school equipment from an Army officer at Periyamadu (West) Maha Vidyalaya, 1 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Navy hands over repaired classrooms at Muttur girls’ school
The Eastern Naval Command handed over renovated classrooms and sanitation facilities at Muttur Muslim Girls’ College in Trincomalee on 1 October. The Navy supplied technical and skilled labour, with funding from a Royal College old boys’ foundation in the United States, under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme.
The handover was presided over by the commanding officer of SLNS Vidura, who is also acting naval officer-in-charge for Trincomalee (South).
A pupil garlands a naval officer at the handover of renovated facilities at Muttur Muslim Girls’ College, Trincomalee, 1 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Pupils at the renovated washing area at Muttur Muslim Girls’ College, 1 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Troops repair preschool water supply in Mullaitivu
Ten soldiers of the 10th Battalion Sri Lanka Light Infantry renovated the water supply at St Mark’s Preschool in Oddarathakulam, in the Manthai East division of Mullaitivu, on 12 October. The Army said the work benefited 30 preschool children and described the preschool as lying within the area of responsibility of its 561 Infantry Brigade.
Soldiers of the 10th Battalion Sri Lanka Light Infantry work on the water supply at St Mark’s Preschool, Oddarathakulam, 12 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
The renovated water point outside St Mark’s Preschool, Oddarathakulam, 12 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Special Forces instructors train Jaffna school prefects
The 51 Infantry Division held a one-day leadership programme for 51 prefects from 10 Jaffna schools at the Jaffna Central College auditorium on 16 October. The schools included Jaffna Hindu College, Hindu Ladies’ College, Vembadi Girls’ High School, St John’s College, Chundikuli Girls’ College and Osmaniya College.
The session was led by a staff officer from Security Forces Headquarters (West), assisted by eight instructors from the Special Forces Training School at Maduru Oya. The Army said it aimed to build the prefects’ leadership, confidence and decision-making. It placed military trainers in direct charge of student leaders from some of Jaffna’s best-known schools.
An Army instructor addresses school prefects at Jaffna Central College auditorium, 16 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
School prefects take part in a group activity led by Army personnel during the programme, 16 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
59 Division builds facilities at a Mullaitivu school
The 59 Infantry Division began providing soldiers and technical expertise on 22 October to build an indoor sports facility and an auditorium at Wattappala Maha Vidyalaya in Mullaitivu, a project started by the school’s old students’ association. The division’s commanding general opened the work alongside the zonal director of education and the principal.
The school takes its name from Vattappalai, where the 59 Division has its headquarters.
A pupil and Army officers light an oil lamp at the start of construction at Wattappala Maha Vidyalaya, Mullaitivu, 22 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Air Force renovates Vavuniya school building
As part of its 48th anniversary programme , SLAF Base Vavuniya handed over a renovated and repainted building at Poovarasankulam School on 26 October.
A performance at Poovarasankulam School, Vavuniya, during the Air Force’s anniversary programme, October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force.
The Army’s Directorate of Media and Psychological Operations delivered a lecture on motivating soldiers through military literature to some 560 recruits and instructors at the Recruit Training School in Vedithalathivu, Mannar, on 16 October. The Army said the aim was to instil pride in the military profession among prospective recruits.
On 3 November, 288 recruits passed out of the Recruit Training Centre at Vidathalthivu after six months of basic training.
Recruits at the Recruit Training School in Vedithalathivu, Mannar, during the lecture on 16 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Navy opens Trincomalee sailing club to schoolchildren
On 31 October the Commander of the Navy visited the Shanthi Bahar memorial sailing club at the Naval Dockyard in Trincomalee. The Navy said it had extended the club’s training facilities to local schoolchildren, and that the commander met students training there.
Naval officers speak with young trainees at the sailing club in the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee, 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Army anniversary blood drives in Jaffna
To mark the Army’s 77th anniversary, Security Forces Headquarters (Jaffna) and the Army Hospital at Palaly organised a blood donation at Teaching Hospital Jaffna on 8 October, where 100 soldiers donated.
On 10 October, 65 troops donated blood at the 51 Infantry Division headquarters in the Army camp at Kopay, in response to a request from the Regional Blood Centre, Jaffna. The Army presented both events as evidence of its commitment to the civilian population of the Northern Province.
Army officers at the blood donation at Teaching Hospital Jaffna, 8 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
A soldier donates blood at the 51 Infantry Division headquarters in Kopay, 10 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Artificial limbs handed out at a Kilinochchi battalion headquarters
The 55 Infantry Division provided artificial limbs to 23 civilians who had lost limbs in mine-related incidents, at the headquarters of the 11th Battalion Gajaba Regiment in Kilinochchi on 16 October. The Army valued the limbs at LKR 7 million, with resources from the Centre for Handicap, a private sponsor and the Sri Lanka Engineers’ Seva Vanitha unit.
The event was coordinated by the division’s Civil Affairs Officer and held beneath “55 Infantry Division, Community Service” banners. The Army did not say when or how the recipients were injured.
An artificial limb is handed to a recipient at the 11th Battalion Gajaba Regiment headquarters in Kilinochchi, 16 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Recipients at the Army programme in Kilinochchi, 16 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Air Force radar squadron at China Bay marks anniversary
No. 6 Air Defence Radar Squadron at SLAF Academy China Bay marked its 17th anniversary on 15 October with a shramadana at a public beach in Trincomalee and a dinner for children at the Rewatha Children’s Home in China Bay.
Air Force personnel clean a public beach in Trincomalee during the radar squadron’s anniversary, October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force.
A radar unit at the No. 6 Air Defence Radar Squadron, SLAF Academy China Bay, during the anniversary parade on 15 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force.
Disaster response and civil administration
Army leads flood drill and evacuation in Mannar
Troops of 5 (Volunteer) Mechanized Infantry Regiment led a flood evacuation drill at Koorai/Sithuminagar Kulam in Mannar on 8 October. The Army said police, the Navy, the Mannar Disaster Management Unit, the Pradeshiya Sabha, Grama Niladharis, irrigation and health officials and the Red Cross took part, under the direction of the 54 Infantry Division.
When water levels rose in the same Grama Niladhari division on 26 October, the regiment evacuated 70 families, or 163 people , to a safety centre at Iluppukadavai government school and served cooked meals.
On 25 October, troops of the 4th Battalion Gajaba Regiment ran a disaster-preparedness session at the Madhu Divisional Secretariat , attended by the divisional secretary, the Mannar Disaster Management Centre, irrigation officials and police. Across the three reports, the Army presented itself as the lead agency in civilian emergency planning in Mannar, with district officials attending military-run events.
Residents gather during the Army-led flood evacuation drill at Koorai/Sithuminagar Kulam, Mannar, 8 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
A soldier carries a child during the evacuation drill, 8 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Soldiers serve meals to evacuated families at the safety centre after the 26 October 2026 evacuation in Koorai. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
An Army officer addresses the disaster-preparedness session at the Madhu Divisional Secretariat, 25 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
“Clean Sri Lanka” and coastal campaigns
Army cites relations with “the Tamil community” in Jaffna beach clean-up
Eleven soldiers of the 11th Battalion Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment cleaned Akkarai beach in Jaffna on 9 October. The Army said the clean-up was held “with the aim of strengthening relations with the Tamil community”.
Soldiers of the 11th Battalion Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment at Akkarai beach, Jaffna, 9 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Armed forces join the “Aththama” campaign
The armed forces joined the third phase of the government’s “Aththama” cleanliness programme on 31 October. The Navy reported clean-ups along the Seththaakulam coast and at the Jaffna District Secretariat premises, on the grounds of Musali National School in Silawathurai, Mannar, and tree planting near the Neelagiri Viharaya in Lahugala, Amparai.
Naval personnel and residents during the Navy’s 31 October 2026 clean-up drives. The Navy’s gallery covers several commands and does not say where each photograph was taken. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
In Amparai, 85 troops from the 242 Infantry Brigade, 14 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment and 8 Sri Lanka National Guard cleared waste and planted trees along 7.4 km of the A4 road between the Komari and Urani bridges.
Soldiers and residents collect waste along the A4 road between the Komari and Urani bridges, 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Soldiers and a resident plant a sapling during the A4 road programme, 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
In Batticaloa, the 243 Infantry Brigade handed over three waste bins , funded by a local Lions club, to the Mayor of the Batticaloa Municipal Council for Kallady beach on 31 October.
Army officers and Lions club members with one of the new waste bins on Kallady beach, Batticaloa, 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Navy convenes fisheries officials and fishing associations
The Eastern Naval Command hosted a programme on illegal fishing at the Naval Dockyard in Trincomalee on 6 October, chaired by the Navy’s Deputy Chief of Staff. District fisheries directors and inspectors from Trincomalee and Mullaitivu attended with representatives of local fishing associations. The Navy said the session covered the effect of illegal fishing on tourism, the legal framework and the concerns of fishermen.
A participant speaks at the Navy’s illegal-fishing programme at the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee, 6 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Participants at the Navy’s programme at the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee, 6 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Navy detains fishermen across the coast
Between 2 and 17 October the Navy detained 50 people for illegal fishing in operations in Trincomalee, including at Foul Point, Nayaru, Irakkandi and Puthumathalan, and at Chundikulam, Kaddaikadu, Veththalakerni and Kovilan in Jaffna, as well as in Puttalam.
Between 17 and 31 October it detained a further 47 people along the Trincomalee coast and at Kankesanthurai, Vedithalathivu and Mullaitivu. Those detained were handed to fisheries officials in towns including Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, Muttur, Kuchchaveli, Vakarai, Valaichchenai, Batticaloa, Jaffna and Mannar.
Men detained by the Navy for alleged illegal fishing between 17 and 31 October 2026. The Navy blurred their faces and did not say where the photograph was taken. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
On 29 October naval personnel detained a 35-year-old resident of Kiranchi in the Valaipadu lagoon , Kilinochchi, with almost 1,500 sea cucumbers harvested without permits.
The boat and sea cucumbers seized by the Navy in the Valaipadu lagoon, Kilinochchi, 29 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
A late-September review, not covered in the previous edition, set out new district-level committees on illegal fishing in 15 fisheries districts, including Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai. The review was co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Defence and brought the defence ministry, the Navy, the Coast Guard and the police into fisheries administration in a region where Tamil fishermen have long accused the Navy of selective enforcement.
Religious activity and military memorials
Navy organises Buddhist Katina ceremony on Nainativu
The Northern Naval Command organised the annual Katina robe offering at the Nagadeepa Purana Rajamaha Viharaya on Nainativu on 27 and 28 October. Sailors carried the robe in procession around the island from the Navy’s detachment there, accompanied by pirith chanting, before taking it to the vihara the next morning. The Commander of the Navy attended.
The Navy’s photographs show naval drummers leading the procession and naval officers serving food to schoolchildren at the vihara. It was another Navy-run Buddhist ceremony on the Tamil island , where the vihara has also unveiled an 88-foot Buddha statue .
Naval drummers in the Katina procession on Nainativu, 27 to 28 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
A naval officer carries the Katina robe during the Navy-organised ceremony on Nainativu, October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Naval officers serve food to children during the Katina ceremony at the Nagadeepa vihara, October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
A second naval Katina procession in Jaffna
Days later the Navy organised a Katina ceremony at the Dambakola Patuna Viharaya in Jaffna on 30 and 31 October, carrying the robe in procession from the naval base SLNS Agbo to the vihara. The event was held under the counsel of the Nagadeepa vihara’s chief incumbent, who is also Chief Sanghanayake of Northern Sri Lanka, and was attended by former Navy commander Admiral Daya Sandagiri.
The entrance to the Dambakola Patuna Viharaya in Jaffna during the Navy-supported Katina ceremony, 30 to 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Naval personnel carry the Katina robe in procession with drummers, 30 to 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
1 Corps holds anniversary rites at Kilinochchi vihara and kovil
To mark its fifth anniversary, the Army’s 1 Corps held religious observances at the Kilinochchi Lumbini Viharaya on 15 October and at the Murukkandi Hindu Kovil on 16 October. The Army said the rites invoked blessings for the corps’ continued success.
Army officers with a priest during the 1 Corps anniversary religious observances in Kilinochchi, October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Air Force lays foundation for Buddhist shrine in Vavuniya
As part of the same SLAF Base Vavuniya anniversary , a foundation stone was laid at the Sri Rathanasara Temple in Pudubulankulam for a Budu Madura, or Buddha shrine room, and an ablution facility. The Air Force said its personnel are providing labour for the construction. The base also held an almsgiving for Buddhist monks.
The Air Force’s role in Buddhist construction comes in a district where Buddhist monks escorted by military and police have marched on the Vedukkunaari Hindu temple.
A Buddhist monk and Air Force personnel at the foundation-stone ceremony at the Sri Rathanasara Temple, Pudubulankulam, Vavuniya, October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force.
Navy commemorates fallen flotilla personnel in Trincomalee
On 31 October the Commander of the Navy led a commemoration at the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla war memorial in the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee, after a Buddhist sermon at the flotilla headquarters the previous day. The Navy described the war as a “humanitarian operation”, the state’s term for a military campaign in which a UN panel estimated that tens of thousands of civilians were killed.
The 4th Fast Attack Flotilla war memorial at the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee, 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Land, installations and the military economy
Army releases 6.97 acres from a Mullaitivu divisional headquarters
On 21 October the 59 Infantry Division handed 6.97 acres within its headquarters premises at Vattappalai to the Divisional Secretary of Maritimepattu, at the Mullaitivu District Secretariat, for return to the owners. The Army did not say how much land the headquarters continues to hold.
Residents of Keppapilavu have campaigned for years for the return of 171 acres still under military occupation , and this year staged a hunger strike outside the 59 Division headquarters. The Deputy Minister of Defence has also told parliament that a further 1,661 acres in the North-East would be permanently acquired for military use.
Army officers hand over documents at the Mullaitivu District Secretariat, 21 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Air Force passes Vanni detachment to the police
SLAF Base Vavuniya handed SLAF Detachment Vanni to the Sri Lanka Police on 19 October to establish a Police Training Centre. The transfer covered the land, buildings, equipment, utilities, roads and communications networks. The site moved from one arm of the security apparatus to another rather than to civilian use.
Air Force and police officers exchange documents at the handover of SLAF Detachment Vanni, 19 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force.
Police and Air Force personnel at SLAF Detachment Vanni during the handover, 19 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force.
Navy expands leisure facilities at Trincomalee dockyard
On 31 October the Commander of the Navy opened a mini-theatre and a renovated yoga space at the Naval Dockyard, alongside a café, juice bar, art corner and laundry established in the dockyard. The yoga space is on the Coral Cove beach area belonging to the Naval and Maritime Academy.
The same day he unveiled a rebuilt tower at the dockyard’s Belfry Gate , originally built by the Royal Navy in 1821. On 7 October the Navy also opened an engine simulator at the dockyard’s Fast Gun Boat workshop.
Naval personnel at the renovated yoga space in the Coral Cove beach area, Trincomalee, 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
The Belfry Gate at the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee, with its rebuilt tower, 31 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Air Force golf tournament at China Bay
The Air Force’s Eagles’ Golf Links at China Bay hosted the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup on 1 November, with a private aviation company as principal sponsor and the awards held at Marble Beach Resort in Trincomalee. The Sri Lanka Engineers said its golfers competed on 31 October and 1 November. The golf course and the resort are military-run businesses in Trincomalee.
Participants at the Eagles’ Golf Links, China Bay, for the Eagles’ Monsoon Cup, 1 November 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force.
UN maritime training concludes in Trincomalee
The first phase of a UN Office on Drugs and Crime training programme on drug trafficking by sea concluded at the Navy’s Special Boat Squadron Training School in Trincomalee on 2 October. Participants came from Bangladesh, India, the Maldives and Sri Lankan agencies. The course was run with the Regional Centre for Maritime Studies at Kotelawala Defence University, with French customs officials among the contributors.
Participants at the closing ceremony of the UNODC training at the Special Boat Squadron Training School, Trincomalee, 2 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Chinese defence attaché visits Naval Dockyard
China’s defence attaché, Senior Colonel Fu Xiao, and naval attaché, Senior Captain Zheng Zhaoping, visited the Naval Dockyard in Trincomalee on 16 October and held talks with the Deputy Area Commander, Eastern Naval Area.
Chinese embassy defence officials are received at the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee, 16 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
New Zealand migration officer meets northern naval commander
New Zealand’s liaison officer for “irregular migration” met the Commander Northern Naval Area at the Northern Naval Command headquarters on 26 October. The Navy said they discussed migration from the Northern Province, maritime border security and human trafficking.
An exchange of mementoes at the Northern Naval Command headquarters during the New Zealand High Commission visit, 26 October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy.
Bangladeshi officers train at Air Force station in Trincomalee
Two Bangladesh Air Force officers took part in a Quick Reaction Team course at the Air Force’s Regiment Special Forces Training School at SLAF Station Morawewa, Trincomalee, from 7 September to 6 October. The Air Force said the course included live-fire weapons training, tactics and exercises on internal security situations.
Air Force personnel during Quick Reaction Team training at SLAF Station Morawewa, Trincomalee, September to October 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force.
Reports from early September not previously covered
Troops clean around Navatkuli preschool
Troops of the 11 Field Engineer Regiment cleaned around the Navatkuli Lakdaru Preschool in the Navatkuli East division on 29 August, according to an Army report published on 3 September.
Soldiers of the 11 Field Engineer Regiment clean around the Navatkuli Lakdaru Preschool, 29 August 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Army gifts at Championpattu preschool
The 10th Battalion Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment gave school packs to 14 children at St Philip Neri’s Preschool in Championpattu on 28 August, in a report published on 3 September.
A soldier hands a school pack to a child at St Philip Neri’s Preschool, Championpattu, 28 August 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Monk-sponsored school bags at Keerimalai
The 513 Infantry Brigade distributed school bags to 60 pupils at the Karukampanai cultural hall in Keerimalai on 30 August, as part of its 31st anniversary. The Army said the event was sponsored by Komane Jinarathana Thera and members of a Buddhist group.
A Buddhist monk hands a school bag to a pupil at the 513 Infantry Brigade event in Keerimalai, 30 August 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
The Trincomalee-based 22 Infantry Division opened its renovated “Lagoon View West” holiday bungalow on 30 August, in a report published on 6 September. The Army described the site as upgraded into a modern holiday resort but did not give its location.
The lagoon-front seating area of the Army’s renovated “Lagoon View West” holiday bungalow, opened on 30 August 2026. Photograph: Sri Lanka Army.
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
Please use below email to contact us:
Loading comments…