India condemns sinking of South Korean naval warship

NEW DELHI - India has condemned sinking of South Korean naval warship “Cheonan” on March 26, and appreciated the Government of the Republic of Korea for showing restraint in this regard.

“The Government of the Republic of Korea has shared with us the report of the Joint Civilian-Military Investigation Group established to inquire into the causes of the sinking of Frigate ‘Cheonan’ on 26 March 2010,” said a Ministry of External Affairs statement.

“We condemn the incident and condole with the Republic of Korea on the tragic loss of life. India appreciates the maturity and restraint with which the Republic of Korea has been handling the issue with a view to maintaining peace and stability in the region,” it added.

South Korea on Thursday formally blamed North Korea for the sinking of its naval warship “Cheonan”, after a multinational team of investigators completed their probe.

The group of civilian and military experts said the 1,200-ton corvette class warship was sunk as a result of an “external underwater explosion” caused by a torpedo fired by a DPRK (North Korea) submarine, resulting in one of the worst peacetime casualties in South Korea’s naval history.

“The evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the torpedo was fired by a North Korean (DPRK) submarine. There is no other plausible explanation,” they said in a statement.

The DPRK has denied its involvement in the accident in April.

On Wednesday, the DPRK’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea released a statement accusing Seoul of taking advantage of the sinking of its warship to push north-south relations to a catastrophe.

According to The Telegraph, North Korea has warned of “full-scale war” if the South imposes new sanctions on the country.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak vowed “stern action” for the provocation and called an emergency security meeting for Friday. ANI)