Chief Government Whip, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, today acknowledged that another Iranian vessel is currently in international waters close to Sri Lanka’s maritime border.
Addressing Parliament, Minister Jayatissa said the government and the Ministry of Defence are aware of the vessel’s presence and are taking necessary interventions to ensure the safety of those on board.
“The ship is not in Sri Lankan waters. It is located in the exclusive economic zone. The government and the Defence Ministry are aware of the ship. The government is involved in providing maximum intervention pertaining to the lives of those onboard. We will give a report once we complete the mission,” he added.
Responding to questions raised by the opposition regarding the Iranian Navy ship that sank off the coast of Galle, Minister Jayatissa clarified that the ship was in the Exclusive Economic Zone and not in Sri Lankan waters.
“The Exclusive Economic Zone is 12 nautical miles from Sri Lanka. Any country is allowed to travel, and there is freedom of navigation. Sri Lanka only has authority related to economic affairs in the said zone. However, the attack happened 19 nautical miles from Sri Lanka,” he clarified.
Minister Jayatissa said that Sri Lanka was informed of bodies in the waters, based on which the Navy started rescue operations.
“At the time, we did not probe whether it was a result of a military or torpedo attack or war-related. We acted purely on a humanitarian basis. 32 people were rescued and admitted to the Karapitiya Hospital. One person is in the ICU. A total of 87 dead bodies were recovered,” he said.
Acknowledging that the government and state hospitals did not have the necessary freezers for the bodies, Minister Jayatissa said that the authorities were looking at obtaining the private sector’s assistance in this regard.
“We are looking to obtain help from the private sector. We are in discussion. We believe we need 2 freezers. In a few hours, the two freezers will be heading to Galle,” he said.
Clarifying conflicting reports on the attack on the Iranian ship yesterday, Minister Jayatissa said the government acted based on information at hand at the time, pointing out that the US officially confirmed a torpedo attack only in the evening.
“We are doing our best as the government in this regard. We are acting based on international laws, peace, and security, which is our responsibility as the government. We are taking necessary measures. We will brief parliament in due time,” he added. (Newswire)