Colombo, March 5 Sri Lanka said on Thursday that it is considering 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 said on Wednesday that it had recovered the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors who were 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 responded 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 the situation and are considering action to ensure the safety of all those on board," Jayathissa said. "We are intervening to resolve this issue and maintain 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, minimize loss of life, and protect regional peace, he said.
The minister said a detailed report will be presented to the Parliament as and when the relevant activities conclude.
According to Jayathissa, the ship is located in Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) close to the maritime boundary but outside its territorial waters.
Sri Lanka’s territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from its coastline and belong fully to the country. Furthermore, from 12 to 200 nautical miles is the EEZ, where international maritime laws apply, but Sri Lanka mainly has rights related to economic activities, not military operations, he explained.
Sources said the ship had requested emergency assistance.
Meanwhile, in Galle, the southern port town, the crew of the ship torpedoed by the US were receiving treatment. Their injuries are not of serious nature, the hospital sources said.
"They have lacerations, one of them has a leg fracture and another needs hip treatment," a health official said on the condition of anonymity.
The inquests on the 84 bodies of the perished Iranian sailors would be conducted Thursday at the Karapitiya hospital in Galle where the injured are receiving treatment.
The ill-fated ship was returning home from Visakhapatnam after a naval fleet review exercise.
While the Sri Lanka Navy refused to give reasons as to what caused the vessel to make a distress plea, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that it was a US submarine that sank the Iranian warship in international waters.
On Wednesday, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath had told Parliament that an emergency message was received by the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard at 5.08 am regarding a sinking ship named IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles off Galle.
Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said, “We are only concerned about our obligation to rescue them as first responders under international maritime obligations.”
The US and Israel have launched a massive joint attack on Iran since February 28. The war has extended to almost the entire Gulf region with Iran's retaliation.
