COLOMBO – More than 200 Iranian naval personnel have been successfully returned to their home country after being rescued by Sri Lankan authorities last month, according to a senior government official who spoke Wednesday.
The rescue operations began on March 4 when Sri Lankan forces saved 32 crew members from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, which had been struck by a torpedo from an American submarine. The vessel was returning from naval exercises conducted by India during ongoing U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran.
A day later, on March 5, Sri Lankan authorities conducted a second rescue mission, saving 208 sailors from another Iranian ship, IRIS Booshehr, which had contacted Colombo requesting emergency assistance due to mechanical problems with its engines.
“The crew of both ships were flown out about 11 p.m. on a special flight on Tuesday night,” Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekera told Reuters.
Following the evacuation of its crew in Colombo, the IRIS Booshehr was pulled by tugboats to waters near Sri Lanka’s eastern coastline at Trincomalee, arriving Tuesday morning.
“There are about 8-10 Iranian crew remaining aboard to assist operations,” Jayasekera added.
Sri Lankan officials provided the rescued sailors with 30-day temporary entry permits and accommodated them at naval and air force facilities while coordinating their return journey to Iran.
An Iranian charter aircraft also transported the remains of 84 crew members from the Dena who lost their lives during the American military strike.
