Indian Navy’s submarine INS Karanj is in Colombo for a two-day visit from February 3-5 for Operational Turn Around (OTA) with the purpose of replenishing soil and provisions, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said in a statement on Sunday.
INS Karanj arrived in Colombo on Saturday and was received in a ceremonial manner by the Officer of the guard of Sri Lanka Navy
Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, visited the submarine on Saturday and interacted with the commanding officer, Commander Arunabh and his crew.
Later in the day, around 100 nominated personnel from the Sri Lanka Navy were briefed about the submarine onboard. The Commanding Officer is scheduled to call on the Commander of the Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Saman Perera, at Western Naval Headquarters during the stay, the statement read.
Notably, INS Karanj is the third of the Kalveri class submarines commissioned into the Indian Navy on March 10, 2021. This is the first foreign port call for INS Karanj since its commissioning. Previously, another Kalveri class submarine, INS Vagir, visited Colombo in relation to the International Day of Yoga in June 2023. “The visit is an Operational Turn Around (OTR), wherein the submarine will replenish fuel and provisions. The crew will recuperate and have the opportunity of visiting places of interest in Colombo and Galle. The submarine will depart the island on February 5 2024,” the Indian High Commission added. Earlier on Friday, the Indian Navy foiled another piracy attempt along the east coast of Somalia and saved Pakistani and Iranian crew members. This incident came on the heels of similar operations, where the Indian Navy carried out two major rescue operations within 36 hours and rescued two hijacked fishing vessels and crew members, including 17 Iranian and 19 Pakistani nationals.Earlier, in a rapid and effective response, the Indian Navy’s mission-deployed guided missile destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, on January 18 addressed a distress call from the Marshall Island-flagged MV Genco Picardy following a drone attack on the night of January 17.
