Sri Lanka Assists Iranian Crew After Naval Incident
Sri Lanka has begun the process of offloading 208 crew members from the Iranian vessel IRIS Dena. This decision comes a day after a tragic incident, where 87 people lost their lives following a submarine strike on the Iranian warship in the region.
According to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the government decided to help the Iranian ship after discussing the situation with all parties involved. Among those being offloaded were 53 officials, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors, and 23 sailors from the IRIS Dena, which was near the port of Colombo.
The IRIS Dena sank off the coast of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, and Sri Lankan officials are working to manage the recovery of the deceased. Two large freezers have been sent to help store the 87 bodies that have been recovered.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated the ship was “effectively neutralized” by a U.S. Navy submarine using a single torpedo. He emphasized that this action led to the warship sinking quickly.
Iran has claimed that the attack occurred in international waters without prior warning, with their Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, expressing that the U.S. will regret setting such a precedent. Iran has requested Sri Lanka’s help in repatriating the bodies of the deceased.
The Iranian warship was reportedly returning home after participating in a naval exercise organized by India in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to 25. Officials are now focused on continuing search operations for about 10 individuals who are still unaccounted for.
