Sri Lanka refused US request to land warplanes: Dissanayake

Sri Lanka refused permission for the US to land two of its warplanes in the island’s southeast Mattala International Airport in early March, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament here on Friday. Dissanayake said that two US warplanes from Djibouti asked for permission to come to Sri Lanka on March 4 and 8. Both requests were rejected, he said.

“We want to maintain our neutrality despite many pressures. We won’t give in. The Middle East war poses challenges but we will do everything possible to remain neutral,” he said.

“They wanted to bring in two warplanes armed with eight anti-ship missiles from a base in Djibouti to the Mattala International Airport and we said no,” the Sri Lankan president said. Dissanayake’s statement comes a day after his meeting with US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor.

The two leaders discussed US efforts to safeguard vital sea lanes and secure ports, reinforce mutually beneficial trade and commercial ties, and advance a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, a statement said. On March 4, the US torpedoed the Iranian frigate Iris Dena off Galle, the island’s southern coastal town, killing 84 sailors while 32 were rescued.