New Delhi: The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka has denied rumours that India has been deploying military personnel in the country.
Taking to its Twitter handle, the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka wrote, "High Commission strongly denies blatantly false & completely baseless reports that India is dispatching its soldiers to Sri Lanka. The High Commission also condemns such irresponsible reporting and expects the concerned to desist from spreading rumours."
Sri Lanka, that is plagued by an economic crisis, has been witnessing widespread protests across the country.
READ | Sri Lanka Crisis: 40,000 Tonnes Of Diesel Under $1 Bn Credit Line By India Reaches Island Nation
Amid the ongoing tension, some reports claiming India has been deploying military personnel to help with the unrest, have been doing the rounds on the social media platforms.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the economic crisis, India extended its helping hand by dispatching a ship carrying 40,000 tonnes of diesel that reached the island nation on Saturday.
The diesel shipment is part of an additional $500 million in fuel assistance for the Sri Lankan government.
Also, as part of a first food aid, Indian traders have started loading 40,000 tonnes of rice for prompt shipment to Sri Lanka.
The rice shipment will be the first major food aid since Colombo secured a credit line from New Delhi, according to officials quoted in the news agency Reuters report.
Notably, Sri Lanka has been struggling to deal with its worst economic crisis in decades.
The prices of food and essential commodities are skyrocketing. There has been a shortage of petrol and diesel in the country this week, forcing the deployment of armed soldiers at filling stations.