Kamal Gunaratne

Kamal Gunaratne
WWV, RWP, RSP, USP
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence & State Ministry of National Security and Disaster Management
In office
18 November 2019  23 September 2024
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickremesinghe
MinisterGotabaya Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded byShantha Kottegoda
Succeeded bySampath Thuyacontha
Personal details
EducationDharmapala Vidyalaya
Ananda College
Sri Lanka Military Academy
Military service
Allegiance Sri Lanka
Branch/service Sri Lanka Army
Years of service1982–2016
Rank General
UnitGajaba Regiment
CommandsSecurity Forces Headquarters – Wanni,
53 Division
Master General Ordinance (2015–2016)
Battles/warsSri Lankan Civil War,
1987–89 JVP Insurrection
Awards Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
Rana Sura Padakkama
Uttama Seva Padakkama

General G. D. H. Kamal Gunaratne, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP is a retired Sri Lankan army general. He was the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and the State Ministry of National Security and Disaster Management from 2019 to 2024. A retired career officer of the Sri Lanka Army, Gunaratne had served as the former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni, general officer commanding (GOC), 53 Division and was a former Deputy Ambassador to Brazil. He was the GOC of the 53 Division which killed the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran at Nandikadal, Mullaitivu.