Defence Secretary, General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne categorically denied social media reports that Indian military elements have been inducted into Sri Lanka.
The pictures depicted therein were identified as official photographs published during the Mitra Shakti Indo-Sri Lanka joint military exercise last year, he said.
This Indian military contingent arrived at the Mattala International Airport, to participate in the bilateral joint military exercise held consecutively between India and Sri Lanka, the Defence Secretary said.
The Defence Secretary also reiterated that the public should not panic over this type of misinformation made with ulterior motives and advised them to keep trust in ethical reporting by all types of media.
The Sri Lankan security forces are capable of handling any situation ensuring national security, he added.