Iranian Crew Safely Returns Home from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has repatriated more than 200 Iranian naval personnel after rescuing them at sea, officials said. The evacuees were flown out on a special flight late Tuesday night. Filmogaz.com reported the statement from a Sri Lankan deputy minister.
Evacuation and return
Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekera said the rescued crew left Colombo around 11 p.m. on a chartered flight. Sri Lanka had issued 30-day entry visas and sheltered the sailors in navy and air force camps while arrangements were made.
An additional aircraft later carried the remains of 84 personnel from one vessel, Iran arranged that plane, the official added.
Ships involved and incidents
Sri Lankan authorities rescued 32 sailors from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena on March 4. The Dena was reportedly struck by a torpedo from a U.S. submarine as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India.
On March 5, Colombo assisted 208 crew members from a second Iranian vessel, IRIS Booshehr. That ship had contacted Sri Lanka after experiencing engine trouble.
Aftermath and ongoing operations
After offloading its crew in Colombo, the Booshehr was towed toward Sri Lanka’s eastern waters. It reached the Trincomalee area by Tuesday morning.
Jayasekera said 8–10 Iranian crew remained aboard to support towing and repair work.
Numbers and timeline
- March 4: IRIS Dena — 32 crew rescued; vessel reportedly torpedoed.
- March 5: IRIS Booshehr — 208 crew rescued after engine trouble.
- Special flight late Tuesday: majority of rescued crew flown back to Iran.
- Chartered plane: 84 bodies from the Dena repatriated to Iran.
The Iranian crew safely returned home after temporary shelter and visa support from Sri Lanka. Filmogaz.com cited the reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe and editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan.
