Submarine Strike Sinks Iranian Warship Near Sri Lanka: 101 Missing, 78 Injured

In a major rescue operation off Sri Lanka's southern coast, at least 32 sailors have been pulled out from a sinking Iranian naval ship, but over 100 others remain missing. The incident has sparked concerns of possible involvement of escalating West Asia tensions.

The Iranian frigate, identified as IRIS Dena, sent out a distress signal early Wednesday morning about 40 nautical miles south of Galle, just outside Sri Lankan territorial waters. The vessel, a Moudge-class frigate serving in the Iranian Navy's Southern Fleet, had around 180 crew members on board when it ran into trouble.

Sri Lankan authorities swung into action immediately. The navy dispatched ships and the air force deployed aircraft for a joint rescue mission. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath informed Parliament that the rescued sailors, many of them injured, have been admitted to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle, according to a report in AFP.

Health officials said one sailor is in critical condition, while several others are receiving emergency treatment

What caused the Iranian warship to sink remains unclear, and this is where the mystery deepens.

Initial reports quoting Sri Lankan navy and defence ministry sources suggested the ship was hit in a submarine attack. Some local media quoted an opposition legislator asking in Parliament whether the vessel was bombed as part of ongoing US-Israeli strikes against Iran. However, the Sri Lankan government has not officially confirmed any attack.

As per the report, the IRIS Dena had just participated in the Indian Navy's multinational Milan exercise and the International Fleet Review held in Visakhapatnam in mid-February. The warship was on its return journey to Iran when the incident occurred.

The timing is significant. Regional tensions are at a peak, with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recently claiming to have launched 'Operation True Promise 4' against US-Israeli assets . There are also unverified claims of strikes on American vessels in the region.

Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said the response was carried out under the country's international maritime obligations . "We responded to the distress call under our international obligations, as this falls within Sri Lanka's Search and Rescue Area in the Indian Ocean," he said.

With over 100 crew members still unaccounted for, the Sri Lankan military has continued its search operations through Wednesday. However, officials admitted that prospects of finding more survivors are diminishing. The Iranian government has not yet issued an official statement on the incident.