Indian Army to assist SL’s fight against COVID-19 Indian HC rebuffs PTI report as ‘false claim’

By JAMILA HUSAIN  

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, yesterday denied reports that Indian Army officers would soon arrive in Sri Lanka to assist the country in its battle against the COVID-19 saying no such move was underway. 

 “This claim is false. There is no decision to send the Indian army to Sri Lanka,” sources from the Indian High Commission told Daily Mirror.  

The Press Trust of India (PTI), in a media report claimed that the Indian Army is readying separate teams to be deployed in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan to help those countries boost capabilities to deal with rising cases of coronavirus.  

A 14-member Indian Army team was sent to Maldives last month to help the island nation set up coronavirus testing laboratories and train local medical professionals to fight the pandemic, while India also dispatched a 15-member team of Army to Kuwait as part of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the PTI reported.  
The PTI, citing sources said the teams for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan are being readied as part of India’s policy of extending helping hand to all friendly countries in the region to fight the pandemic.   

• PTI, in a media report claimed that the Indian Army is readying separate teams to be deployed in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan