U.S. blacklists Sri Lankan army commander, cites killings, abuses

The United States has blacklisted Sri Lanka's army chief, Shavendra Silva, for human rights violations including extrajudicial killings during the last phase of the country's civil war in 2009, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

"The allegations of gross human rights violations against Shavendra Silva, documented by the United Nations and other organizations, are serious and credible," Pompeo said in a statement.

Silva's appointment as army commander in August drew sharp criticism from the United States and the United Nations.

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