(COLOMBO) – Sri Lanka is to deploy warships into the Red Sea and elsewhere to counter the threat against attacks from Houthi rebels while providing protection to commercial vessels, a senior naval official said yesterday.
“The deployment will be carried at the very earliest once all the logistical material is in place. However no exact date has been finalized towards this end.
This the first time that will be venturing out into the Red Sea and therefore a certain cautious approach will have to be made simply because we will be dealing with a well equipped guerilla movements that boasts of long distance missiles, boats and even fixed wing aircraft”, Sri Lanka Spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasinghe said.
He declined to give the nature of the vessel that will be deployed but added that will be manned by experienced personnel and that the vessels has the equipment for close quarter battle and could even successfully engaged surface to surface missiles.
“On the other hand we will be sharing information with friendly navies in the region whenever the need arises but at the end of the day we are ready for single combat”, he said.
He said apart from the Red Sea the Sri Lanka navy will also patrol the waters of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Eden in order to provide protection for merchant vessels.
“But it also must be said that we do not intend to engage the Houthi rebels firectly or indirectly. Our position is mainly to provide protection to merchant shipping vessels in these hot spots, Captain Wickramasinghe said.
Sri Lankan President Ranil has expressed concern on the Houthi threat saying it could be a direct threat to the island nation’s harbours on one hand while on the other essential food and other commodities would increase several fold since vessels will have to use an alternative route via the Cape that will take many more days.
The Houthis for their part have vowed to attacks vessels on the Red Sea that are known to be linked with Israel or transporting cargo to the Jewish State.
The Houtis who are backed by Iran have vowed to carry out more attacks on vessels to to avenge Israeli’s ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Several of the world’s leading shipping carriers have already pulled out of the Red Sea fearing more attacks and instead are navigating a longer route around the African Coast.
