The US has attacked and sunk an Iranian warship, the IRIS Dena, returning from India, near Sri Lanka. So far, 87 Iranian sailors have been killed in the attack, according to the Sri Lankan government. More than 100 people have disappeared in the water, and many are injured. After receiving a distress call from the Iranian ship, the Sri Lankan military launched a massive search and rescue operation.
Sources in the Sri Lankan Navy and Defense Ministry have confirmed the attack. A total of 180 people were on board the Iranian ship; 32 have been rescued since the attack, while several others are reported missing.
A Defence Ministry spokesman said the Sri Lankan Navy launched a rescue mission immediately after receiving a distress signal from the Iranian vessel. “The Sri Lankan Navy has launched a rescue mission after receiving a distress call from an Iranian vessel,” the spokesman said.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that an American submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian ship in the Indian Ocean. The Sri Lankan Navy rescued 32 injured sailors and hospitalized them.
Sri Lankan officials told Al Jazeera that the call for help was sent between 6 and 7 a.m. (Indian Standard Time) on Wednesday morning. The ship was about 40 nautical miles (about 75 kilometers) from the southern Sri Lankan city of Galle.
The Iranian warship was returning from participating in the 2026 International Fleet Review held in Visakhapatnam, India, last month. The ship was carrying approximately 180 naval personnel. A search and rescue operation is underway to locate the missing.
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