Colombo: Sri Lanka on Thursday said it is deliberating appropriate action after a second Iranian ship has sought entry to its territorial waters, a day after a frigate belonging to the Islamic country was attacked near the island nation.
However, no decision was announced by 6 pm.
Sri Lanka on Wednesday said it had recovered 84 bodies of Iranian sailors killed after a US submarine attack sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Galle, the island’s southern coastal town. Government spokesman and minister Nalinda Jayathissa was on Thursday responding to a query by the main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament about the second Iranian ship, located off Panadura, outside Colombo.
“We are aware of it and are contemplating action to safeguard all lives on board,” Jayathissa said. “We are intervening to resolve this issue to safeguard regional peace.” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is also the Minister of Defence, along with the Security Council and the government are making the necessary interventions to resolve the issue, minimise the loss of life, and protect regional peace, he said. A detailed report
will be presented to the Parliament as and when the relevant activities conclude, the minister said.
The ship, according to Jayathissa, awaits in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) close to the maritime boundary but out of its territorial waters. agencies