️ Sri Lankan authorities have evacuated over 200 crew members from a second Iranian naval vessel off its coast, following the sinking of an Iranian frigate by a US submarine in the same waters just a day earlier, which resulted in the deaths of 87 sailors. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced on Thursday that the Sri Lankan navy would take custody of the second ship and move it to the northeastern port of Trincomalee for safekeeping, amid concerns it could be targeted in the escalating conflict.
️ According to Sri Lankan officials, 87 bodies were recovered and 32 people rescued from the approximately 180 crew believed to have been on board the IRIS Dena, which sank on Wednesday. Rescue operations were initiated after a distress call was received, but when vessels arrived, the frigate had already disappeared, leaving only an oil slick and life rafts. The 32 survivors, all seriously injured, were taken to Galle National Hospital, while more than 10 sailors remain missing.
️ US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, releasing footage of a Mark 48 torpedo hitting the frigate's stern and stating, "An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack as "an atrocity at sea," noting that the ship had been returning from a peacetime naval exercise hosted by India when it was struck without warning.
️ This incident occurred against the backdrop of coordinated US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 28, which have reportedly destroyed over 20 Iranian naval vessels. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the second day of the attacks, triggering widespread protests. The UN reports that the attacks have killed more than 1,000 people in Iran and displaced over 100,000 from Tehran, highlighting the severe humanitarian toll of the conflict.
️ Sri Lanka, which has declared neutrality and called for "restraint and immediate de-escalation," now finds itself hosting the human aftermath of a war being waged near its shores. President Dissanayake emphasized, "Neutrality and humaneness is the priority. We have responsibilities as a neutral country. All parties must be committed to peace," underscoring the challenges faced by nations caught in the crossfire of geopolitical rivalries.
Source: www.aljazeera.com