COLOMBO: Over 200 Iranian naval personnel rescued by Sri Lanka after two separate maritime incidents have been repatriated, marking the end of a tense humanitarian operation set against the backdrop of escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Sri Lankan authorities confirmed on Wednesday that the crew members were flown back to Iran late Tuesday aboard a specially arranged charter flight.
The operation followed a dramatic sequence of events earlier in March involving two Iranian naval vessels operating in the Indian Ocean region.
The first incident occurred on March 4, when the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was struck by a torpedo reportedly fired by a United States submarine.
The attack, which took place off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, resulted in significant casualties and left dozens injured. Sri Lankan rescue teams swiftly intervened, evacuating 32 surviving crew members who were later treated at medical facilities in the southern city of Galle.
In a separate incident the following day, a second Iranian vessel, IRIS Booshehr, experienced engine failure and issued a distress call.
Sri Lankan forces responded promptly, rescuing 208 crew members and towing the vessel to safer waters near the eastern port of Trincomalee. A small contingent of Iranian personnel remains aboard the ship to assist with ongoing technical operations, according to Reuters.
Authorities in Colombo facilitated temporary accommodation for the rescued sailors, granting them 30-day visas and housing them in military-run camps while diplomatic arrangements were finalised for their return.
Tragically, the repatriation flight also carried the remains of 84 sailors who lost their lives in the attack on the Dena, underscoring the human cost of the widening regional tensions.
Sri Lanka’s swift response has been widely noted as a significant humanitarian effort in a highly volatile geopolitical environment.
