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The Sri Lanka Navy says it has recovered the bodies of 84 people who were aboard an Iranian naval vessel that went down following a U.S. strike in waters south of Sri Lanka, outside the island’s maritime boundary.
According to naval officials, search and recovery operations are still underway as authorities continue efforts to locate those who remain unaccounted for.
The vessel, identified as IRIS Dena, reportedly sank in deep waters after being targeted by a submarine belonging to the United States Navy. The incident occurred in the Indian Ocean while the ship was sailing south of Sri Lanka.
The warship, which had a crew of around 180 personnel, had recently taken part in an international naval fleet review and joint military exercise in Visakhapatnam before beginning its return voyage to Iran.
Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth confirmed on Tuesday that the United States had sunk an Iranian warship operating in international waters in the Indian Ocean. He said the vessel was destroyed by a torpedo launched from an American submarine but did not identify the specific ship involved.
Hegseth told reporters that the strike marked the first time since World War II that an enemy vessel had been sunk by a torpedo in such circumstances.
Earlier, the Sri Lanka Navy reported that it had rescued 32 survivors after receiving a distress signal from the IRIS Dena early yesterday morning. The rescued individuals were later admitted to the Galle National Hospital for medical treatment.
Speaking at a special media briefing, Navy Spokesperson Buddhika Sampath said the primary objective of the operation was to save as many lives as possible.
He added that documentation found on the vessel indicated there were about 180 people on board at the time of the incident, though the exact number of those still missing has yet to be confirmed.
According to the Navy spokesperson, rescue teams initially could not locate the ship itself when the operation began. Instead, they observed oil slicks on the water along with floating life rafts, indicating that the vessel had already sunk.
