Departure of 240 Iranian Navy Crew from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka on Tuesday facilitated the return of 240 Iranian naval personnel, following recent maritime incidents in waters near the island.

The group left the country aboard a special Turkish Airlines flight departing from Bandaranaike International Airport. They had been accommodated and assisted by local authorities after their vessels ran into trouble off Sri Lanka’s coast.

Aruna Jayasekera, State Minister of Defence, supervised the repatriation process. He noted that 32 of those returning were sailors rescued from the Iranian naval ship IRIS Dena, which had reportedly sustained damage during an incident at sea. The remaining personnel were from another Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr.

Before departure, the naval crew were moved from their temporary lodgings to the airport under strict security arrangements.