(COLOMBO) – Over 15,000 soldiers have been discharged after a one-month long amnesty ended earlier this week, Sri Lanka Army Headquarters said in a statement on Wednesday.
A total of 15,667 soldiers of all ranks who were listed as absent without leave were discharged during the amnesty period that started on April 20 and ended on May 20, the statement said.
It added another 373 personnel who are currently serving overseas were also discharged.
At the height of the separatist war between the armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the army comprised some 205,000 personnel both men and women.
The Government has also announced that it intends to bring down the army’s strength to 100,000 by 2030.
