Sri Lanka says it is caring for 32 sailors rescued from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena and will treat them in line with international law, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said. The Dena was reportedly sunk by a US submarine off Sri Lanka's southern coast; Sri Lankan forces recovered 84 bodies. Colombo has also sheltered the IRIS Bushehr and coordinated with the ICRC, while India permitted the IRIS Lavan to dock in Kochi on humanitarian grounds.
Sri Lanka Says It Will Treat Rescued Iranian Sailors Under International Law as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
A handout photograph taken by the Sri Lankan Navy of the Iranian ship IRIS Bushehr (-)(-/Sri Lankan Navy/AFP)
Sri Lanka has said it will treat Iranian sailors rescued from the torpedoed frigate IRIS Dena in accordance with international law, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told a conference in New Delhi. Herath said Colombo is caring for 32 sailors from the vessel, citing the country's obligations under international treaties.
The frigate was reportedly sunk by a US submarine on Wednesday just off Sri Lanka's southern coast. Sri Lanka dispatched naval units to rescue survivors and recover the bodies of 84 people found after the attack.
"We have taken all the steps according to international laws," Herath said, declining to directly confirm reports that Washington had urged Colombo not to repatriate the sailors.
Sri Lanka also provided refuge to a second Iranian warship, the IRIS Bushehr, evacuating its 219 crew members a day after the Dena incident. The Bushehr was moved to Trincomalee on the island's northeast coast after reporting engine problems.
India, meanwhile, allowed a third Iranian warship, the IRIS Lavan, to dock at the port of Kochi on humanitarian grounds after it too reported operational difficulties. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said many on board were young cadets who have since disembarked and are staying at a nearby facility.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Colombo would follow the Hague Convention, under which a neutral state may hold combatants from a warring party until hostilities end. A senior Sri Lankan official added that the government is consulting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on care for survivors.
Officials emphasized that international humanitarian law applies to the rescued sailors. The wounded may be repatriated at their request, while Iranian diplomats in Colombo have asked for the remains of the 84 deceased sailors to be returned to Iran.
The events have prompted diplomatic sensitivity across the region, with Sri Lanka and India stressing humanitarian obligations while international inquiries into the attack and its circumstances remain ongoing.
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