Sri Lanka Navy Deployment to Red Sea Awaits Final Orders

COLOMBO (News 1st); While Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe previously announced plans to deploy vessels to the Red Sea and surrounding waters, the Sri Lanka Navy has yet to receive a specific date for the operation.

Navy Spokesperson Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya stated that naval vessels are prepared for such a mission. 

On the 3rd of January 2024, in a surprise announcement, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed the country's decision to join international efforts against the Houthis in Yemen with a deployment of vessels to the Red Sea.

Houthi rebels, who control large swathes of Yemen, have launched missile attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea demanding an end to the Israeli attacks on Palestine.

Their main targets are commercial ships linked to the US and Israel, and the Houthis carry out these attacks using Drones and Missiles. 

Attacks by the Houthis on commercial ships in the Red Sea have disrupted the region's crucial shipping activity, including the primary route for vessels entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. 

This disruption has prompted some ships to reroute their journeys, opting for the longer but safer passage around South Africa. 

The US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian is already underway and covers a wider area than just the Red Sea, encompassing the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. 

India has already deployed six warships as part of this initiative. 

Sri Lanka's planned deployment aligns with these efforts, to support the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian that is also supported by India.

Recently , the head of Yemen's Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, issued a stark warning, stating that any country associating with the United States-led Red Sea coalition risks losing its maritime security and becoming a target.