Sri Lanka Receives Iranian Sailors as Search Continues for Crew of Sunk Vessel
Sri Lanka is continuing its search for survivors of an Iranian warship sunk Wednesday off its southern coast, whereas simultaneously processing the arrival of 208 Iranian sailors from a second vessel intercepted in its waters. The incident has sparked international concern and accusations of a “war crime” from Iranian officials.
According to a statement from the Sri Lankan Navy, the majority of personnel aboard the IRIS Bushehr, the second Iranian ship, have disembarked and are being transferred to the Welisara naval camp near Colombo. “Some are still on board,” said Navy spokesperson Buddhika Sampath. “We are carrying out procedures to move the ship to Trincomalee,” on the east coast, though it remains currently in the port of Colombo.
Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake stated in a televised address that the second vessel carried 208 individuals, including 53 officers, 84 officer cadets, 48 senior sailors and 23 regular sailors.
The search for those missing from the IRIS Dena, which was sunk by a U.S. Submarine, is ongoing off the coast of Galle in southern Sri Lanka. Unlike the second vessel, which was detected within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the first ship was navigating in international waters in the Indian Ocean when it was attacked while returning to Iran following naval exercises in India.
Authorities have so far recovered 84 bodies and are treating 32 injured individuals at the National Hospital of Galle, creating a significant strain on local forensic resources. This crisis, combined with the international implications of the incident, is hindering efforts to repatriate the sailors, as demanded by Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abás Araqchí denounced the attack as a “war crime” in an interview with NBC News, stating that the vessel was unarmed. The development underscores growing regional tensions and raises questions about freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean.
The scale of the tragedy has overwhelmed local resources, and the repatriation process remains stalled amid international scrutiny.
