Thirty-two Iranian navy men, who were rescued by authorities in Sri Lanka after the frigate they were on was torpedoed by a US submarine in March off the South Asian country, left last Tuesday night, local media reported.
The IRIS Dena crew members boarded an aircraft that was due to make a special flight in the evening, two Sri Lankan television networks said. A spokesman for the country’s defence ministry was not available for comment.
Another Sri Lankan media outlet reported that 208 of the 219 crew members of a second Iranian warship also departed, according to a report. The information has also not been officially confirmed.
The sinking of the IRIS Dena frigate occurred south of Sri Lanka and claimed the lives of 104 people, sailors and officers, on March 4th, the first 24 hours of the war that erupted with US and Israeli aerial bombardments against Iran. The bodies of 84 sailors were recovered and repatriated.
Three weeks ago, Iran’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alireza Delhos, had said that Tehran was discussing with Colombo the repatriation of another 219 sailors, crew members of a second warship, the IRIS Bushehr, which was allowed to dock safely in the Asian country.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanaike had said that the island had undertaken to receive and protect the IRIS Bushehr crew as it had a “humanitarian obligation” under the 1907 Hague Convention.
Sri Lanka has also refused to allow US military aircraft to use its airbases as part of operations registered as part of the war against Iran to maintain its neutrality.
A third Iranian warship, the IRIS Lavan, with 183 crew members, anchored in southern India’s Cochi port after the war broke out.
