New Delhi: A chartered aircraft arranged by Iran departed from Kochi late on Friday to repatriate most of the crew members of the Iranian warship IRIS Lavan, which had docked at the southern port earlier this month.
The flight operation took place shortly after the fourth round of discussions between S. Jaishankar and Seyed Abbas Araghchi regarding the ongoing crisis in West Asia. The aircraft was also used to transport the bodies of sailors who died when another Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, was torpedoed and sunk near Sri Lanka on March 4.
The chartered plane, believed to have originated from Turkey, reportedly travelled to Colombo before heading to Kochi. From there it carried the remains of sailors recovered after the sinking of IRIS Dena. Authorities in Sri Lanka had recovered dozens of bodies and also rescued several crew members following the attack. The remains had been moved from medical facilities in the southern region to an airport for the airlift.
Officials indicated that the repatriated crew members of IRIS Lavan, along with the bodies of the deceased sailors, will be transported onward to Iran after reaching Armenia. Only a limited number of personnel will remain on board the warship to maintain operations, while the rest of the 183 member crew are being evacuated.
The docking of IRIS Lavan in Kochi had been permitted by India on humanitarian grounds after a request from Tehran. Earlier this month, New Delhi allowed three Iranian naval vessels operating in regional waters to seek port access. Among them were IRIS Dena, IRIS Lavan and IRIS Booshehr.
While IRIS Lavan docked at Kochi, IRIS Booshehr was received in Colombo, where its crew members were accommodated at naval facilities. Meanwhile, the sailors rescued after the sinking of IRIS Dena remain in Sri Lanka under the care of local authorities, who have extended temporary visas and humanitarian support as discussions continue regarding their return.
