The Pakistan Army and Sri Lanka Army have concluded ‘Exercise Shake Hands‑II’, a two‑week joint counter‑terrorism training programme held at Tarbela, Pakistan. 

The High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka said the exercise commenced on April 27, 2026, and concluded yesterday.

Combat teams from the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group and the Sri Lankan Special Forces participated, demonstrating high standards of professional excellence throughout the training. 

The programme focused on refining drills, procedures, and techniques in counter‑terrorism operations through joint training, while further strengthening historic military‑to‑military ties between the two countries.

The closing ceremony was attended by the General Officer Commanding Special Services Group as the Chief Guest. Major General Ajith Abeyawardana (WWV RWP RSP) of Sri Lanka also witnessed the event. (Newswire

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China’s military leadership is in turmoil after its most senior general – a close ally of Xi Jinping – was placed under investigation for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law”.

Zhang Youxia is the joint vice-chairperson of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the ruling body of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Second only to Xi in the military command structure, Zhang has long been seen as the Chinese president’s closest military ally.

The defence ministry announced on Saturday that Zhang and Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the CMC’s joint staff department, were under investigation.

An editorial published in the army newspaper Liberation Army Daily on Sunday said that Zhang and Liu “seriously betrayed the trust and expectations” of the Communist party and the CMC, and “fostered political and corruption problems that undermined the party’s absolute leadership over the military and threatened the party’s ruling foundation”.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Zhang was accused of leaking information about the country’s nuclear weapons programme to the US and accepting bribes for official acts, including the promotion of an officer to defence minister, citing people familiar with a high-level briefing on the allegations.

The Guardian was unable to independently verify the reports.

Zhang is also a member of the elite politburo of the ruling Communist party and is one of just a few leading officers with combat experience. Aged 75, Zhang was retained in the military leadership by Xi past the normal age of retirement, indicating a high level of trust in the general that he has now purged.

The military was one of the main targets of a broad corruption crackdown ordered by Xi in 2012. That drive reached the upper echelons of the PLA in 2023 when the elite Rocket Force was targeted.

The scalping of a figure as senior as Zhang in Xi’s anti-graft campaign raises questions about the stability of China’s military leadership at a moment when it is under scrutiny from western observers about its readiness and willingness to launch an assault on Taiwan, which could bring it into conflict with the US in the Indo-Pacific.

Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia programme at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy thinktank, said the purge “raises larger issues about political stability in a rising, nuclear superpower”.

“It could be seen by many as reflecting poor judgment about some of [Xi’s] prior appointments,” Goldstein said.

Of the seven men appointed to the CMC at the 20th party congress in 2022, only two remain untouched by anti-corruption investigations: Xi himself, and Zhang Shengmin, the CMC’s anti-graft officer.

The co-vice chair of the CMC, He Weidong, was expelled from the party and PLA in October last year for corruption.

Foreign diplomats and security analysts are watching developments closely, given Zhang’s closeness to Xi and the importance of the commission’s work in terms of command as well as the PLA’s ongoing military modernisation and posture.

While China has not fought a war in decades, it is taking an increasingly muscular line in the disputed East China Sea and South China Sea, as well as over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which is claimed by China. Beijing staged the largest military exercises to date around Taiwan late last year.

The Singapore-based China security scholar James Char said the military’s daily operations could carry on as normal despite the purges.

“China’s military modernisers will continue to push for the two goals Xi has set for the PLA – namely, 2035 to basically complete its modernisation and 2049 to become a world-class armed forces,” said Char, a scholar at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Eight top generals were expelled from the Communist party on graft charges in October 2025, including He Weidong. Two former defence ministers were also purged from the ruling party in recent years for corruption. The crackdown is slowing procurement of advanced weaponry and hitting the revenues of some of China’s biggest defence firms.

Born in Beijing, Zhang joined the army in 1968, rising through the ranks and joining the CMC in late 2012 as the PLA’s modernisation drive gathered pace.

He fought in Vietnam in a brief but bloody border war in 1979 that China launched in punishment for Vietnam invading Cambodia the previous year and ousting the Beijing-backed Khmer Rouge.

Zhang was sent to the frontlines to fight the Vietnamese and was quickly promoted, according to state media. He also fought in another border clash with Vietnam in 1984 as the conflict rumbled on.

“During the battle, whether attacking or defending, Zhang Youxia performed excellently,” the official China Youth Daily wrote in a 2017 piece entitled These Chinese generals have killed the enemy on the battlefield.

Some China scholars have noted that Zhang emerged from the conflict an avowed moderniser in terms of military tactics, weapons and the need for a better trained force. (The Guardian)

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The Maritimepattu local council has issued a notice to the military to shut down a beauty salon operated by the army in Mullaitivu, citing serious harm to the livelihoods of war-affected residents.

According to reports, Chairman of the Maritimepattu Pradeshiya Sabha, Chinnarasa Logeswaran, stated that the decision was made following complaints from local residents.

The notice pertains to the closure of the “Blue Bells Salon,” a beauty salon run by the military on forest department land in Kepapulavu, which falls under the Maritimepattu Divisional Secretariat in Mullaitivu.

Condemning the military’s involvement in such activities, Logeswaran pointed out that these actions severely impact the lives and economy of the local communities.

Logeswaran, a representative of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), further warned that legal action would be taken if the council’s directive is not implemented. (Newswire)

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that by 2030, the Army will be reduced to 100,000 personnel, the Navy to 40,000, and the Air Force to 18,000, as part of a broader effort to modernize Sri Lanka’s defence forces.

“The size will be reduced, but the forces will become more technically advanced. We are committed to this transformation,” he said, addressing Parliament.

He highlighted the aging military equipment, noting that many aircraft and weapons are nearing expiration.

“Navy personnel have told me that they need special training to operate some vessels, in addition to the standard training. The vessels are that old and decayed. We wish to transform our security personnel into professionals who are loyal to the nation, not towards individuals,” the President said.

He added that these decisions were made after careful deliberation and criticized the practice of granting service extensions to military leaders.

He also noted that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) role has often been given to subordinates or loyalists, making it ineffective. (Newswire)

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Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) has refuted claims that personnel had been recruited to the Sri Lanka Army, without following the procedure of clearance.

Responding to a question raised by a reporter, the Deputy Defence Minister said that the armed forces have a procedure to follow for recruitment and that no person has been recruited bypassing the system.

Questioned on the involvement of military personnel in underworld activities, the Deputy Minister said military personnel are required to be officially discharged and that steps are being taken to arrest those who have gone on leave and not returned to service. 

He further said measures are being taken to address the issue of the misuse of firearms and the involvement of military personnel in underworld activities.

Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara assured there was no threat to national security, adding that measures have been taken to ensure public safety.

He made the remarks in response to questions raised by the media related to the recent courthouse shooting and other shooting incidents in Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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An Indian peacekeeper deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who helped establish networks for local people to voice their security and humanitarian concerns, is the winner of the 2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, the UN announced on Tuesday.

Major Radhika Sen served in eastern DRC with the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, from March 2023 to April 2024 as the Commander of the Engagement Platoon for the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion.

She will receive the award from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a ceremony on Thursday.

Guterres congratulated Major Sen for her service, describing her service as “a true credit to the United Nations as a whole.”

“In an escalating conflict environment in North Kivu, her troops actively engaged with conflict-affected communities, including women and girls,” he explained, noting that she earned their trust “with humility, compassion, and dedication.”

Upon receiving news of the Award, Major Sen expressed gratitude for being selected and reflected on her peacekeeping role.

“This award is special to me as it gives a recognition to the hard work put in by all the peacekeepers working in the challenging environment of DRC,” she said.

“Gender-sensitive peacekeeping is everybody’s business – not just us, women. Peace begins with all of us in our beautiful diversity!”

Major Sen led mixed-gender engagement patrols and activities in a volatile environment, where many people, including women and children, were fleeing the conflict.

“Major Radhika Sen will be honored with the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award on May 30th for her outstanding service in DR Congo. Her dedication and bravery highlight the invaluable role of #women peacekeepers in building a better world. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and inspired by her commitment to peace and equality,” said India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj in a post on X.

The Community Alert Networks she helped create in North Kivu served as a platform for community leaders, young people and women to raise their security and humanitarian concerns, which she would in turn help address together with her colleagues at MONUSCO.

As a Platoon Commander, she fostered a safe space for men and women to operate together and quickly became a role model for both women and men peacekeepers.

She also ensured that peacekeepers under her command engaged in a manner sensitive to gender and socio-cultural norms.

Major Sen facilitated English classes for children, and health, gender and vocational training for displaced and marginalized adults. Her efforts directly inspired women’s solidarity, providing safe spaces for open dialogue.

As a gender advocate, she encouraged women in the village of Kashlira to address issues collectively, advocate for their rights and amplify their voices within the community, in particular in local security and peace discussions.

Major Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive the award, following Major Suman Gawani, a co-recipient for 2019. Other past honourees were from Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

India is currently the eleventh largest contributor of women military peacekeepers to the UN, with 124 now deployed.

Born in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in 1993, Major Radhika Sen joined the army eight years ago. Major Sen graduated as a biotech engineer and was pursuing her Master’s degree from IIT Bombay, when she decided to join the armed forces. She deployed to MONUSCO in March 2023 as the Engagement Platoon Commander with the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion and completed her tenure in April 2024. (ANI)

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The 14th contingent of the Sri Lanka Force Protection Company (SLFPC) in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) returned to the island recently (Mar 02).

The troop, which had departed for Lebanon on March 02, 2023, had returned after completing their service in UNIFIL. 

The contingent, commanded by Colonel D.P.I.T Kaluaggala, consisted of 10 Officers and 115 Other Ranks.  

Upon their arrival, they were welcomed at the airport by the Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA), Major General B.K.G.M.L. Rodrigo, Centre Commandant of SLA, Brigadier K.A.D.N.R. Kannangara, Colonel P.P.C. Perera, Colonel Overseas Operations of the Directorate of Overseas Operations, along with several Officers and relatives. (NewsWire)

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