Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP (; 27 July 1940 – 8 August 1992) was a senior Sri Lankan Army officer who served in the 1971 Insurrection and the Sri Lankan Civil War. Having trained with the British Army, Kobbekaduwa started his military career as an armoured corps officer. He was suspended following an alleged Ceylonese coup d'état attempt in 1966 and was reinstated in 1970 attached to internal security prior to and during the 1971 Insurrection. Following a brief stint as an officer instructor, he served as a staff officer attached several commands before commanding the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. In the mid 1980s he served as district military coordinating officer before joining the general staff of the Joint Operations Command. At Joint Operations Command, he led the planned of the Vadamarachchi Operation, during which he commanded one of the three brigades. He served as the general officer commanding, the 1st Division and the 2nd Division; Overall Operations Commander, Eastern Sector before taking up command as Overall Operations Commander, Northern Sector. During which he held several major military operations such as Operation Gajasinghe and Operation Balavegaya. He was killed on the eve of launching Operation Final Count Down to recapture the Jaffna Peninsula, when he was mortally wounded and much of his senior staff in his command killed when the Land Rover they were travelling in hit a land mine in the island of Kayts. Early life and education He was born in Kandy to a Radala family. His father was Loku Bandara Kobbekaduwa and mother was Lona Ratwatte. He was their second child and eldest of three sons. Spending his early days at the Deldeniya Walauwa in the village of Deldeniya in Menikdiwela, Kadugannawa and at Amunugama Walauwa in the Amunugama village close to Kandy. His uncle was the politician Hector Kobbekaduwa. He received his primary education at Hillwood College and in 1948 entered Trinity College Kandy. He represented the college at rugby, hockey, and cricket. He captained the College 1XV in 1959 and won the Trinity Lion for rugby and was a school prefect. Although he was offered admission to the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya he opted for a military career. Early career Kobbekaduwa joined the Ceylon Army in May 1960 as an officer cadet. After undergoing basic training at the Army Training Center in Diyatalawa; he proceeded to the Royal