Iran has repatriated over 200 naval sailors in an emergency airlift from Sri Lanka, following their rescue at sea after maritime incidents off the island nation’s waters. The operation was conducted on the night of 14 April through a specially arranged flight coordinated between Sri Lankan authorities and Iranian officials.
The special aircraft, operated by Meraj Air, arrived at the Sri Lanka Air Force base near Katunayake Airport yesterday evening. The naval personnel included 204 sailors who had been accommodated at the Welisara facility and a further 32 at the Koggala facility after being rescued by Sri Lankan naval forces. All 236 personnel were later transferred under organized arrangements to the airbase for departure processing.
After completion of formal procedures, the aircraft departed Katunayake Air Force Base at approximately 8:35 pm on the night of 14 April, carrying the Iranian naval sailors back to Iran via an undisclosed route. The evacuation marked the conclusion of a coordinated maritime rescue and repatriation operation involving Sri Lankan authorities and Iranian naval coordination.
