COLOMBO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet has authorized the navy to conduct maritime security operations on commercial ships operating in high-risk zones, according to the Department of Government Information on Tuesday.
The decision followed a proposal from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) declared the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Somali Sea as high-risk zones in 2010 after a rise in pirate attacks targeting merchant vessels in those waters, the department said.
As a result, many commercial ships began hiring armed maritime guards from foreign private security companies. Although the IMO lifted the high-risk designation on Jan. 1, 2023, commercial vessels continue to rely on armed guards from foreign firms, and Sri Lanka's ports in Galle and Colombo remain primary hubs for the embarkation and disembarkation of these guards. Hambantota and Trincomalee ports also occasionally serve this purpose, it said.
Citing the navy's key role in national maritime security and its operational experience, the government has authorized the navy to carry out security operations with regard to commercial ships directly, under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense, it said. ■
