Sri Lankan navy commander visits Iran’s ‘Younus’ submarine

Sri Lanka’s commander for navy operations visited Iran’s Tareq-class submarine, 'Younus’, which is a part of the country’s 28th fleet of warships which has berthed in the Sri Lankan coastal waters since three days ago. “We could host a submarine in Colombo port after a long time and it was a rare opportunity for us to visit such a submarine,” the Sri Lankan navy commander said after visiting the submarine on Wednesday. During the tour, the Iranian commanders informed their Sri Lankan counterparts of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s military capabilities. In 2011, 'Younus' submarine managed to set a new record in sailing the international waters and high seas for 68 days. Iran's Younus submarine, sailing alongside warships of the 14th fleet of the Iranian Navy, returned home in early June 2011 following an over two-month-long mission in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Younus is now a part of the Iranian Navy’s 28th flotilla of warships which had docked in Mumbai port before berthing in Colombo. The 28th Flotilla comprises Alborz destroyer, Bandar Abbas helicopter-carrier warship, carrying the 212 combat choppers, and Younus. The 28th Fleet of the Iranian Navy berthed in Mumbai early December. During its stay in Mumbai port, the flotilla was visited by Commander of India’s West Navy Admiral Shekar Sinha. After the visit, he underlined the need for the deepening of defense cooperation with the Iranian Navy, specially in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. “The Indian Navy has full readiness to expand relations between the two countries’ navies and exchange of a flotilla to Bandar Abbas port,” Admiral Sinha said in a meeting with Commander of the 28th Flotilla Captain Babak Balouch in Mumbai port earlier this month. He reiterated that the two countries’ navies have a lot of potential for joint cooperation, and said, “We welcome expansion of such collaboration. During its sailing towards India, the 28th flotilla also rescued a Liberian ship heading towards Fujairah port in the UAE by repelling the pirates’ attacks against it