Indika De-Silva: Latest News

(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) – Sri Lanka’s navy said Monday that about 300 suspected migrants have been rescued by Singapore authorities after their boat started sinking.Navy spokesperson Indika de Silva said a Sri Lankan citizen on the boat contacted the navy Monday and said they were in distress, and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Colombo sought help from Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines.Singapore authorities later notified Sri Lanka that the people on board the boat had been rescued and were heading to Vietnam.De Silva said the navy is only officially aware of the presence of one Sri Lankan on board the vessel, and the identities of the others will be ascertained after they land in Vietnam.Sri Lankans in the past sometimes undertook hazardous and illegal boat journeys to escape a long civil war.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka Navy said it has sought the assistance of neighboring countries to locate the Sri Lanka Navy boat that went missing with six Sri Lankan sailors.Navy Spokesperson Captain Indika De Silva told News 1st that information about the missing boat was relayed to the authorities in India, Maldives, Indonesia, and Australia assuming that the Sri Lanka Navy boat may have drifted into international waters.The Sri Lanka Navy boat with six sailors had been engaged in operations to monitor suspicious activity in the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka and had left Sri Lanka on the 16th of September, and has been missing for exactly one month.On the 17th of September 2022, the Sri Lanka Navy lost all communication with the boat in question, and the Navy Spokesperson said that search and rescue operations are continuing to locate the missing sailors and the boat.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Navy says that a vessel with six sailors, who were engaged in search operations along the southern coast for suspicious vessels, has been missing for about 20 days.Navy spokesperson Captain Indika de Silva said that the sailors left from the Southern Coast on 16th September for the search operation.However, all communication with the naval vessel in question have been broken since 17th September, the Navy spokesperson said.The missing group were identified as sailors attached to the Southern Naval Command.No information about the missing sailors have been received in the operations carried out by the Navy so far

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Navy detained 11 Indian fishermen and seized 3 Indian fishing boats for illegally entering the Sea of Sri Lanka on Monday (7) night.Sri Lanka Navy Spokesperson Captain Indika De Silva told News 1st that the Indian poachers were detected in the Sea of Sri Lanka off Delft Island.The detained fishermen will be handed over to the Jaffna District Fisheries Office for processing.On Monday (7), 21 Indian fishermen who were previously detained were remanded to the 21st of February by the Point Pedro Magistrate’s Court.Court granted permission to record statements from the Indian fishermen and also ordered for the 100 kg catch detected from their boats to be sold and the return be produced to the court.21 Indian Fishermen Detained:In a special operation conducted by Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard, 02 Indian trawlers with 21 Indian fishermen were held for poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters, off Kovilan and Point Pedro Lighthouse, Jaffna on the night of 31st January 2022.This special operation was mounted by deploying Fast Attack Craft of the 04th Fast Attack Flotilla in the Northern Naval Command, another Fast Patrol Boat of Sri Lanka Coast Guard and with the assistance of the Navy’s Special Boat Squadron.The operation led to the apprehension of these 02 Indian trawlers with 21 Indian fishermen while poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters on the night of 31st January.As the Indian trawlers were attempting to evade naval units with their aggressive manoeuvres, they also caused damages to the SLN Fast Attack Craft.The Navy also held several bottom trawling equipment and fish caught by this illegal fishing method from the seized fishing trawlers.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The SLNS ‘Gajabhahu’ ship joined the traditional Gun Salute to the nation conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy at 12.00 noon in the seas off Galle Face on Friday (4).Navy Spokesperson Captain Indika De Silva told reporters that SLNS Gajabhahu is the largest vessel with the Sri Lanka Navy and for the gun-salute was accorded using the 47 MM Saluting Gun (4 nos).On the sidelines of the 74th National Independence Day celebrations held under the theme “An affluent tomorrow and prosperous motherland with challenges overcome” Sri Lanka Navy honoured the nation by according a 25-Gun Salute onboard Sri Lanka Naval Ship (SLNS) Gajabahu by 12.00 noon today (04th February 2022). The ceremonial tradition was executed under the guidance of the Commanding Officer of the ship, Captain Malan Perera.According of a Gun Salute could be held on National Independence Day or a particular day designated by the government as a mark of respect to the nation and the highest honour of 25-gun salute is only accorded to the nation.

COLOMBO (News 1st): Sri Lanka Navy said it seized two trawler boats transporting over 300 kg of heroin in the South-Eastern seas off Sri Lanka, in international waters.Navy Spokesperson Captain Indika De Silva speaking to News 1st said the drugs were seized in a special joint operation with the State Intelligence Service and the Police Narcotic Bureau.11 suspects were arrested from aboard the two vessels, he added.He went on to note that the two trawlers belong to Sri Lankan fishermen and the haul of seized heroin will be brought ashore on Tuesday (25).

COLOMBO (News 1st); Five Sri Lankan fishermen have been rescued by merchant ship YM Summit 170 nautical miles east of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, after a Sri Lankan fishing vessel capsized off the coast of the Maldives.The Navy Spokesperson, Captain Indika de Silva said that there were six fishermen on board the vessel, however, one was missing.The Indian Coast Guard stated that the rescue was coordinated by Indian Coast Guard Maritime rescue coordination center (Mumbai) and Chennai.The rescued fishermen are due to be handed over to the Navy by the relevant merchant ship off the coast of Galle this afternoon (08).The fishing vessel, named Asela Putha has gone to sea from Beruwala.Subsequently, the owner of the vessel had complained to the Beruwala Police on 5th January that communication with the vessel had been disrupted.The Navy said it had informed the Maldivian and Mumbai naval authorities about the incident as well.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Salvage experts failed to tow a fire-stricken container ship carrying chemicals out to sea and it started to sink Wednesday off Sri Lanka's main port, raising fears of a marine environmental disaster, officials said.X-Press Feeders, operators of the container ship MV X-Press Pearl, said the experts were able to board the vessel and attach a tow line, but "efforts to move the ship to deeper waters have failed.""The ship's aft portion is now touching bottom at a depth of 21 meters (70 feet)," while the forward area remains afloat with smoke coming out of two cargo holds, the company said in a statement.Navy spokesperson Indika de Silva said the ship could cause severe pollution if it sinks at its current location off