The US Navy sank an Iranian military vessel off the coast of Sri Lanka.
The Iranian military ship IRIS Dena sank off the coast of Sri Lanka. The country's authorities reported that crew members had been rescued and that a search and rescue operation was underway in the Indian Ocean.
This was reported by The Public with reference to Reuters.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijaya Herath told parliament that the ship sank near the island. According to him, 32 people on board the ship were rescued during the incident.
A representative of the Sri Lankan Navy said that all the rescued sailors were injured and were taken to a state hospital in the southern port city of Galle.
He said that the navy received a distress signal from the Iranian ship, after which the Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force launched a search and rescue operation.
The navy said it was focused on rescuing people and would determine the cause of the ship's sinking later. It was also reported that no other ships or aircraft were spotted in the area of the incident.
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence said that the search for other crew members is continuing. According to the ministry, the ship sank about 40 kilometres south of the island.
At the same time, sources in the Sri Lankan Navy and Ministry of Defence said that the ship may have been attacked by a submarine. It is currently unknown who could have carried out the attack.
Navy spokesman Buddika Sampat said that reports of 101 people missing were inaccurate and dismissed reports about the cause of the ship's sinking.
According to the Navy, the distress signal was received at dawn. When the fleet ships arrived at the scene, they saw only a few lifeboats, and the ship itself was gone.
The frigate IRIS Dena was equipped with heavy guns, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes, and could also carry a helicopter. The ship's crew numbered about 180 people.
After the rescued sailors arrived at the hospital in Galle, the police stepped up security around the medical facility.
In the Sri Lankan parliament, one of the opposition MPs asked whether the ship could have been destroyed as part of US and Israeli military action against Iran. The country's government did not provide an immediate answer to this question.
The Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force also said they would not release video footage of the rescue operation because it involved the military of another country.
According to Reuters sources, an Iranian military ship off the coast of Sri Lanka was attacked by a US Navy submarine. The strike on the Iranian military ship off the coast of Sri Lanka was carried out by the US, three American officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
One of the officials, who wished to remain anonymous, said the strike was carried out by a US military submarine.
