Sri Lanka has approved India to send thousands of military personnel in Colombo ahead of next month's South Asian summit, the sources said on Sunday.
The heavy Indian security presence in Sri Lanka is a part of measure to protect Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attending SAARC Summit from July 27 to August 3 amid rising tension in the country.
President Mahinda Rajapakse has given approval to have Indian troops, helicopter gun ships, bullet-proof vehicles and other related security arrangements.
The local reports suggested that under the agreement, the Indian Navy will patrol and carry out surveillance in Sri Lankan territorial waters during the summit to ensure there are no terrorist attacks from the sea.
The presence of Indian navy along Sri Lanka's coast will ensure to avert any issues if the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attacks the island's only international airport as it has done in the past.
The rebels have clashed with the authorities since 1983, killing at least 70,000 people, as the insurgents have been demanding for an independent state for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority.
The LTTE, which is considered as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union and India, has been fighting for a separate Tamil homeland.
An Indian three-member delegation including top National Security Advisor, M.K. Narayanan had made the formal request during their meeting with President Rajapakse on June 21.
The annual gathering, SAARC Summit, will have top leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The local media said Sri Lankan authorities have reduced the access to some of the regions in the country, fearing LTTE attack.
Source: allheadlinenews.com
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