Army Chief of staff Mahesh Senanayake has been appointed the new Army Commander. 

He has also been promoted to the rank Leutinent General, by President Maithripala Sirisena. 

Senanayake succeeds Lt. General Chrishantha de Silva who was appointed the Chief of Defence Staff, last week. 

Senanayake was among the 14 officers who were sent on compulsory retirement by the previous government, after the Presidential election on 2010. 

The Army officers were sent on compulsory retirement due to suspicion that they were supporters of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. 

He was reinstated by President Sirisena in February, 2015.