Sri Lanka’s former Army Commander, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, has accused ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa of declaring an unsanctioned ceasefire during the final stages of the country’s civil war in 2009, allegedly to allow LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran a chance to flee.
Speaking at a public event, Fonseka claimed the ceasefire announced between January 29 and February 1 was implemented without the approval of the National Security Council.
He alleged that the move gave Prabhakaran an opening to escape as the military closed in on the Tamil Tigers’ final positions.
However, instead of retreating, Prabhakaran launched a counter-attack, which Fonseka says led to the deaths of nearly 500 Sri Lankan soldiers.
Challenging the long-standing narrative that credits the Rajapaksa administration with ending the war, Fonseka called on Mahinda Rajapaksa to publicly clarify how the final operations were conducted.
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