Colombo | The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday said it rescued 32 Iranian sailors from a sinking Iranian naval ship off the southern coast, while several bodies were recovered from the site.
Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath told reporters that several bodies were also found near the location of the distress signal, though the exact number was not immediately available.
“At this point, it is difficult to give any numbers, but bodies have been found. As they were found closer to the point of distress, it is accepted that they were from the same ship," he said.
“When our teams reached the scene, we observed a large oil slick, indicating that the ship had sunk," Sampath added.
In response to a question, the spokesperson categorically rejected media reports that the ship had been sunk in a submarine attack.
“We are only concerned about our obligation to rescue them as first responders under international maritime obligations,” he said.
The Iranian ship IRIS Dena was part of a joint naval exercise hosted by India. There was no immediate comment from the Indian Navy.
Sampath said the cause of the distress signal would be determined later through investigations by specialised authorities.
Although the incident occurred outside Sri Lankan territorial waters, it fell within the country's search and rescue zone, he said.
Sampath confirmed the vessel was Iranian and said the rescued crew members were wearing Iranian naval uniforms.
Air Force spokesman Nalin Wewakumbura said no other vessels or aircraft were detected in the area where the distress signal originated.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that an emergency message was received by the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard at 5.08 am regarding a sinking ship named Iris Dena, located about 40 nautical miles off the southern port district of Galle.
"Thirty of them were rescued while around 180 were said to be on board,” he said.
Herath added that the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force carried out a joint rescue operation, and the reason for the sinking had not yet been established.
“We are bound by international conventions on maritime rescue to assist anyone in distress, irrespective of the reason,” he said.
The rescued sailors were taken to the Navy’s Southern Command headquarters and later admitted to Karapitiya Hospital in Galle, Herath added.
Security around the Southern Command had been stepped up, officials said.
Referring to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Herath said Sri Lanka deeply regretted the situation and urged a peaceful resolution.
Dubai | US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says a torpedo from a US submarine sank an Iranian warship.
In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said that the Tuesday night strike on an Iranian warship was the first such attack on an enemy since World War II.
