ICGS Sarathi leaves the port of Colombo. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy
Indian Navy training ships have held a joint exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy off the west coast as they ended their visit to Colombo, the latest in a series of military exchanges between the two countries.
INS Tir, INS Sujata and ICGS Sarathi of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron, which arrived on 26 October with 135 officer trainees, sailed on 29 October after a passage exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy's SLNS Nandimithra and fast attack craft P 492, the Sri Lankan Navy said .
The navy said the exercise focused on communication, navigation and "operational interoperability" between the two forces, and that such visits and joint exercises aim to strengthen their "collective capacity to address shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean Region".
A joint performance by the bands of the Indian and Sri Lankan navies during the visit. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy
During their stay, the Indian crews and trainees took part in professional exchanges, operational observation tours and sports events organised by the Sri Lankan Navy, as well as a joint beach clean-up and a combined band performance.
Indian and Sri Lankan naval personnel during a joint beach clean-up. Photograph: Sri Lanka Navy
The visit coincided with the Sri Lankan Navy's SLNS Gajabahu sailing for India to join the first BIMSTEC maritime security exercise, and a Sri Lankan Army artillery delegation training in India . A senior Sri Lankan naval commander has admitted that the Indian Navy helped destroy LTTE supply ships in the run-up to the Mullivaikkal genocide in 2009.
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