The Sri Lankan navy dispatched a rescue mission after a distress call from the Iranian ship, a defense ministry spokesperson said earlier on Wednesday
ri Lanka’s government said it recovered several bodies and rescued 32 wounded sailors after an Iranian military ship sank just outside the island’s territorial waters.
The country’s deputy foreign minister told local television that at least 80 people were killed in the strike.
Authorities told Al Jazeera the frigate IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles (75km) off Galle in southern Sri Lanka, sent out a distress call between 6am and 7am (00:30 to 01:30 GMT) on Wednesday.
The ship had about 180 crew members on board, and a search and rescue operation was under way, Sri Lankan officials said.
The Iranian frigate was returning from having taken part in the 2026 International Fleet Review last month in eastern India’s coastal city of Vishakapatnam.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the navy received information that the ship was in distress and the government sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission.
A Sri Lankan navy spokesperson said no other ship or aircraft was observed in the area where the Iranian warship sank.
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