The complex also included the Ministry of Defence buildings, located close to the Galle Face terminus of Baladaksha Mawatha.

The base was founded by the British during their colonial rule of Ceylon, undergoing expansion during World War II, defending Colombo during the Easter Sunday Raid.

Upon the post-independence formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, the base began use as its headquarters in the late 1980s with many of the offices moving from old Rifle Barracks.

[1][2] The second occurred on April 25, 2006 when a female LTTE suicide bomber- disguised as a pregnant woman arriving for clinical treatment at the Colombo Military Hospital- targeted the motorcade of then-army commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka.

[5][6][7] A combined tri-forces headquarters at Akuregoda, Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte had been commissioned to house, among others, the displaced army administrative offices.