Overall Operational Commander
Overall Operations Commander is the title held by the most senior commander in a theatre of operation at certain times in Sri Lanka.History
It originated as a term Officer Commanding Troops of the Ceylon Army, when a senior officer was put in charge of multiple units in a geographical area. With the escalation of the Tamil militancy in the Jaffna Peninsula, President J. R. Jayawardene dispatched Brigadier Tissa Weeratunga to Jaffna as Commander Security Forces - Jaffna, with extensive powers under the provisions of Prevention of Terrorism Act No: 48 of 1979. Brigadier Weeratunga served as Commander Security Forces - Jaffna from 13 July 1979 to 31 December 1979 undertaking counter insurgency operations to reduce militant activities. In October 1981, Brigadier J. G. Balthazar was appointed Commander Security Forces - Jaffna following an increase of militant activities.
