New Delhi, Dec. 27: Manmohan Singh today spoke on telephone to Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and President Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives, two island nations devastated by yesterday?s killer tsunami waves.

The Prime Minister told them that India was ready to assist in whatever way needed.

Sri Lanka needs help in locating hundreds of missing fishermen. The Indian Navy is already on the look out for boatmen needing assistance.

Last evening, India sent in a Dornier aircraft laden with 600 kg of medicines and a team of doctors. Today, the navy launched Operation Rainbow. It sent out four ships to Sri Lanka. INS Sharda and INS Sutlej are headed for Galle in the south, an area badly hit by the waves. Two more ships, the INS Sandhayak and the INS Sukanya, have set off for Trincomalee, the headquarters of the eastern province. All the four vessels have helicopters and divers on board. The ships are carrying medical teams, supplies and relief equipment. The air force has also chipped in with a search-and-rescue operations team.

For the Maldives, the navy will launch Operation Castor, involving three ships. INS Mysore, INS Udaygiri and INS Aditya are preparing to set out later today. INS Mysore has two helicopters and the other two have a chopper each. INS Aditya is carrying water and has a purification plant. Medical teams, supplies and relief equipment are also on board. INS Mysore is expected to reach tomorrow, INS Udaygiri on Wednesday and INS Aditya on Thursday.

In a show of bonhomie, Pakistan has expressed willingness to offer assistance to India. Indian foreign secretary Shyam Saran, appreciating Pakistan?s gesture, said he would convey Islamabad?s offer to Delhi. He pointed out that if there was any area in which India needed Pakistan?s help in this regard, it would ask for it.

The external affairs ministry has also written to the heads of the Indian missions in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia to find out about Indians who may have be stranded there.

So far, one Indian woman was reported dead in Thailand and another injured in Phuket, a holiday destination in that country. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who was also in Thailand, is safe. The Indian mission in Bangkok has flown consular officials to Phuket to provide assistance to Indians who may be holidaying there. The external affairs ministry has activated a control room in Delhi. The affected missions are also operating control rooms. In New Delhi, additional secretary, administration, Talmiz Ahmad is the coordinator.