Army Chief of Staff Major General Shavendra Silva has been appointed the new Commander of Sri Lanka Army.

Silva replaces Lt. General Mahesh Senanayake who retired from service yesterday.

Silva, formerly the Commander of the 58th Brigade, played a vital role in the last phase of the war.

He was also known to be a close associate of former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who is now running for the Presidency on the SLPP ticket.