Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence has announced that more than 3,500 members of the armed forces who had gone absent without official leave (AWOL) have been apprehended through a special operation conducted over several months.
According to the Ministry, a total of 3,504 military personnel were taken into custody between February 22 and August 3, after failing to officially retire or resign from service.
Among those arrested:
2,937 are from the Sri Lanka Army
289 are from the Navy
278 are from the Air Force
In 2024, the government had declared a general amnesty period allowing AWOL personnel to return to duty or legally resign without facing punishment. However, those who did not make use of that window have now been subject to arrest under military law.
The Defence Ministry confirmed that the operation to apprehend these individuals was launched in February 2025, targeting those who failed to comply with legal exit procedures.
