General Lionel Piyananda Balagalle, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP (15 June 1947 – 26 October 2023), was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer, who served as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and the Chief of the Defence Staff.

[1] Balagalle studied medicine before he joined the Ceylon Army as an Officer Cadet on 5 April 1965.

He attended the Intelligence Staff Officers Course in Pune from August 1975 to October 1975, then returned to Deolali from August 1977 to September 1978 for the Long Gunnery Staff Officers Course (Field) qualifying as an Instructor Gunnery (IG) and was promoted to the rank of Major in October 1978.

Major General Sarath Munasinghe mention's in his book A Soldier's Version, that he and Colonel Balagalle were present at the HQ Operation Combine during the interrogation of the JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera on 12 November 1989 following his capture and subsequent disappearance.

[1][3][4] In 1993, Brigadier Balagalle was found at fault along with several other senior officers for their failure to prevent a major attack by the LTTE by a military court of inquiry following the Battle of Pooneryn.

Balagalle served as General Officer Commanding, Task Force 2 (for Elephant Pass, Pooneryn, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya areas), 51 Division.

On Army Day, 10 October 2003, he received concurrent appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).

His funeral was held on 28 October 2023 at the Borella General Cemetery with full military honours.