The Sri Lankan Navy said on Friday that 204 of the 208 Iranian personnel aboard the IRINS Bushehr have been safely transferred to the Port of Colombo. The move followed the sinking of an Iranian frigate near Sri Lanka two days earlier. Officials said the Bushehr sought permission to enter Sri Lankan waters after reporting engine failure.
Four sailors remain on the Bushehr, which developed trouble in one engine. Authorities said it will take at least two more days for the vessel to reach the eastern Port of Trincomalee from its position outside Colombo. Earlier reports said Tehran had requested docking for both the Bushehr and the IRIS Tonb in Colombo Port; Sri Lanka declined to risk the security of its capital and redirected them to Trincomalee instead.
Navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said the transferred sailors will be taken to the navy camp at Welisara, a northern suburb of Colombo, and will undergo medical examinations as part of registration. He said Sri Lanka aimed to remain neutral while providing a humanitarian response and that its role was limited to responding to a request from one party involved in the conflict.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Iran had on 26 February sought permission for a four-day goodwill visit to Colombo between 9 and 13 March, a request Sri Lanka was still studying. On 27 February, officials were informed that a sailor had tripped and fallen and needed assistance to come ashore.
