The US Embassy in Colombo raised serious concerns over the appointment of Lt. General Shavendra Silva as the new Commander of the Sri Lanka Army.

In a statement this evening, the US Embassy said the appointment undermined Sri Lanka’s international reputation and its commitments to promote justice and accountability.

The statement came against the backdrop of Sri Lanka's stalled negotiations with the US over a defence cooperation agreement.

Meanwhile, issuing a statement, TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran expressed his party's dismay over the appointment.

The two statements came as war crimes allegations have been levelled against the new Army Commander over his involvement in the military operations against the LTTE.