The Indian Navy has deployed four more warships to support relief efforts in cyclone-hit regions of Sri Lanka as part of the ongoing Operation Sagar Bandhu, which aims to provide urgent Search & Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) aid.
The deployment includes INS Gharial and three Landing Craft Utility (LCU) vessels — LCU 54, LCU 51, and LCU 57 — tasked with delivering nearly 1,000 tons of essential relief supplies to affected coastal areas, according to Indian media reports.
The Indian Defence Ministry said the three LCUs have reached Colombo and critical humanitarian material have been handed to Sri Lankan authorities. Meanwhile, INS Gharial is expected to dock at Trincomalee today, continuing India’s assistance mission.
Earlier, INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya had provided immediate relief support, including helicopter-borne search-and-rescue operations.
The latest deployment highlights the deep people-to-people ties between India and Sri Lanka and reinforces the Indian Navy’s commitment to offering swift humanitarian support to its neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Defence Ministry added.
