29.6.2008
Sri
Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has approved a 'heavy
Indian military presence' in Colombo to provide security
for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the upcoming
SAARC summit in Colombo, said a media report here Sunday.
The
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
summit is scheduled to take place from July 27 to August
3 in the capital city of Colombo.
'The
formal request to have Indian troops, helicopter gun ships,
bullet-proof vehicles and related security arrangements
was made by the three-member Indian delegation that visited
Sri Lanka June 20,' the Sunday Leader newspaper reported,
referring to the visit by a top Indian delegation led
by National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan.
Claiming
that the presidential approval was granted following a
request made by India in view of the current security
situation in the country, the media report said that Sri
Lanka had also 'agreed to allow the Indian Navy to patrol
and carry out surveillance in Sri Lankan territorial waters
during the summit to ensure there are no terrorist attacks
from the sea'.
The
Indian delegation that included Foreign Secretary Shivshankar
Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh called on President
Rajapaksa and met senior government officials, including
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, army commander
Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka and navy commander Vice Admiral
Wasantha Karannagoda during their previously unannounced
visit.
They
held talks on a wide range of issues, including the current
situation with regard to the ethnic conflict and the upcoming
SAARC summit in Colombo.
Quoting
informed sources, the media report said India also wanted
to set up special radars in Colombo. 'The skies in Colombo
are to be taken under the control of a special Indian
Air Force team in order to prevent any possible LTTE air
attack'.
'The
Indian prime minister and his officials along with his
security personnel are to be transported in bulletproof
vehicles and trucks that will be brought to Colombo from
India. Another special Indian helicopter and attack aircraft
are also to be brought for him,' the Sunday Leader report
said.
Sri
Lanka's military spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara,
said Sri Lanka's tri-forces along with police and elite
police personnel would naturally provide security for
the summit while the leaders of the SAARC would bring
in security personnel from their respective countries
to look after their own security.
'Not
only India, all the other leaders will also bring their
own security personnel for their own security. This is
a common practice everywhere. But we have our own special
security arrangements for the SAARC summit as a whole,'
Brig. Nanayakkara told IANS.
Courtesy - IANS