Sri Lanka on Wednesday denied reports that an Iranian naval ship which sent out a distress call after its crew reported an explosion off the island’s coast had been struck by a submarine. The development had prompted the Sri Lankan Air Force and Navy to deploy ships and aircraft for a rescue operation.
Sri Lanka’s Navy rescued 32 sailors from the 180-crew Iranian Navy frigate Iris Dena, but hopes were fading for 148 others, the island’s foreign minister and defence officials said later in the day, AFP reported.
Authorities confirmed that 32 personnel aboard the vessel, identified in reports as the Iran Navy’s Iris Dena, were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment. Officials declined to release footage of the operation, citing the “involvement of military of another state”.
The Navy later said it had recovered “a few bodies” of Iranian sailors from the area where the frigate sank off the island’s southern coast, AFP reported, quoting a spokesman.
Distress Call And Conflicting Reports
Reports first emerged on Wednesday that an Iranian naval vessel had issued a distress call off Sri Lanka’s coast. The Sri Lanka Navy dispatched ships and aircraft after receiving the call from the sinking frigate, which was outside the island’s territorial waters.
According to reports, the ship was about 40 nautical miles off Galle and carried 180 crew members.
Reuters, citing Sri Lankan navy and defence ministry sources, reported that at least 101 sailors were missing after a distress call allegedly triggered by a “submarine attack”. The report said it was unclear who had attacked the vessel, which sources said had sunk. A Sri Lanka Air Force spokesperson later stated that no aircraft had been observed in the area at the time of the distress call.
Statements Before And After Submarine Claim
Before reports of a submarine attack surfaced, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that 30 injured sailors from the 180-member crew were being brought to a hospital in the island’s south, according to AFP. Local officials said the main hospital in Galle, 115 kilometres south of the capital, had been placed on alert to receive the rescued sailors.
Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara, quoted by local outlets including Ada Derana, said the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force were conducting a joint rescue operation. A Navy spokesperson later confirmed that 32 injured personnel had been rescued and were receiving hospital treatment.
Sri Lankan authorities subsequently rejected claims that 101 sailors were missing due to a submarine strike. The Navy spokesperson dismissed the submarine attack reports, saying the exact cause of the incident was not immediately known. Both the Navy and Air Force reiterated that they were not releasing rescue footage because it involved the military of another state, Singapore-based outlet CNA reported.
Bodies Recovered
Sri Lanka’s foreign minister told parliament that the Navy responded to the distress call at 6 am (1230 GMT) and launched rescue operations.
“What we know at this point is that 79 people were rescued and brought to the hospital and one of them was seriously injured. Another 101 are believed to be missing and the vessel has sunk,” Reuters quoted a Sri Lankan navy source as saying. The source declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. According to the sources, one of those brought to hospital later died.
AFP later quoted Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath as saying that a “few bodies” had been recovered from the site where the ship sank.
Tensions In The Backdrop
The incident comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East, with maritime routes increasingly affected following US-Israel strikes on Iran last weekend and Tehran’s retaliation.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they control the Strait of Hormuz, warning that vessels risk damage. AFP quoted Guards Navy official Mohammad Akbarzadeh as saying, “Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is under the complete control of the Islamic Republic’s Navy.”
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said the US Navy was prepared to escort oil tankers through the crucial Gulf shipping route.
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