Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna

Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna (SFHQ-J) is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the Jaffna Peninsula in the Northern Province, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades. It is the most senior of the five Security Forces Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding it is one of the most senior officers in the army, the post is designated as Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna. The current Commander SFHQ-J is Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe. The SFHQ-J is based at the Palaly Military Base. It was the successor to the former pre-war Northern Command.

Although it is primarily a command of the Sri Lanka Army, it coordinates operations and deployments of ground units of the Navy, Air Force and police with that of the army. The Sri Lanka Navy units in the Northern Province come under the Northern Naval Area Command and Sri Lanka Air Force units come under its own Northern Zonal Command. At certain times the an Overall Operations Commander (OOC) has been appointed with authority over all three commands and police units in the Jaffna Peninsula.

Composition

• 51 Division, based in Jaffna
  • 51-1 Brigade
  • 51-2 Brigade
  • 51-3 Brigade
  • 51-5 Brigade
• 52 Division, based in the Jaffna Peninsula
  • 52-1 Brigade
  • 52-2 Brigade
  • 52-3 Brigade
• 55 Division, based in Elephant Pass, Jaffna Peninsula
  • 55-1 Brigade
  • 55-2 Brigade
  • 55-3 Brigade

List of Overall Operations Commanders

• Major General (later Lieutenant General) Denzil Kobbekaduwa, USP, psc, SLAC
• Major General (later General) Rohan Daluwatte, USP, psc, SLAC
• Major General Janaka Perera, psc, GW

Previous Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna

• Brigadier (later Leiutenant General) T.I Weerathunge, VSV, GW
• Brigadier (later Major General) Jayantha de S. Jayaratne, VSV, SLA
• Brigadier (later Major General) Y. Balaretnarajah, USP, SLAC
• Brigadier J Nammuni, SLSR
• Brigadier (Later Major General) Vijaya Wimalaratne, USP, psc, GR
• Major General Nihal Jayakody, USP, NDC, VSV, SLE
• Brigadier (later Major General Sarath Munasinghe,GW
• Major General (later General) Sarath Fonseka, psc, SLSR
• Major General MDS Chandrapala USP, GW
• Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, USP, psc, SLAC
• Major General M.C.M.P Samarasinghe, USP, psc, SLE