Iran Navy ship Iris Dena hit by submarine attack off Sri Lanka coast? What we know
Sri Lanka sent jets to rescue crew of Iranian ship 'Iris Dena' after it sounded a distress call. Sri Lanka denied that the ship was hit by a submarine attack.
Sri Lanka on Wednesday denied reports that an Iranian naval ship which sounded a distress call after its crew reported an explosion off its coast was struck by a submarine, necessitating Sri Lankan Air Force and Navy to send ships and aircraft for a rescue operation.
An injured person moves on a wheelchair at the National Hospital Galle where he will receive treatment after being injured in an Iranian ship which sounded a distress call off Sri Lanka (REUTERS)
An injured person moves on a wheelchair at the National Hospital Galle where he will receive treatment after being injured in an Iranian ship which sounded a distress call off Sri Lanka (REUTERS)
Sri Lanka's navy rescued 32 sailors from the 180-crew Iranian Navy frigate Iris Dena but hopes were fading for 148 other sailors, the island's foreign minister and defence officials said later in the day, AFP news agency reported.
Sri Lankan authorities said that 32 people onboard the ship - which reports identified as Iran Navy's Iris Dena - were rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment, refusing to share footage of the operation due to the “involvement of military of another state”.
Sri Lanka's navy did, however, later say it recovered "a few bodies" of Iranian sailors on board the frigate that sank off the island's southern coast, AFP nes agency reported, citing a spokesman.
Iranian naval ship hit by submarine attack off Sri Lanka coast? What we know
Iran Navy ship distress call and rescue operation: Reports first surfaced of an Iranian naval ship making a distress call off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Sri Lanka Navy dispatched ships and aircraft for a rescue mission after receiving the call from the sinking Iranian frigate Iris Dena, which was just outside the island's territorial waters. Reports said the vessel was about 40 nautical miles off Galle and was carrying 180 crew members.
Report says Iran ship hit by submarine attack: While official information regarding the distress call was awaited, Reuters reported, citing Sri Lankan navy and defence ministry sources that at least 101 were missing after the Iranian naval ship's distress call triggered by a “submarine attack”. The report mentioned it was unclear who attacked the ship, which the sources said has now sunk. Sri Lanka Air Force spokesperson later said no aircraft was observed in that area during time of distress call. Track US-Iran conflict news updates here
What Sri Lankan authorities said before submarine attack reports: Before the submarine attack report, foreign minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that 30 injured sailors were being brought to a hospital in the island's south from the 180-crew frigate that was sinking from dawn, according to AFP news agency. Local officials said the main hospital in Galle, 115 kilometres south of the capital, had been placed on alert to receive the evacuated sailors.
Joint Navy-Air Force operation: Citing deputy defence minister Aruna Jayasekara, local reports such as Ada Derana said the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force were conducting a joint rescue operation to extract the crew from the ship. Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson later said 32 people injured in the incident were rescued and were under treatment in hospital.
Sri Lanka denies submarine attack reports: Sri Lankan authorities denied that 101 people were missing after the distress call was triggered by a submarine attack on the Iranian ship, as initially reported by Reuters citing sources in the Lankan navy and defence ministry. The Navy spokesperson rejected reports of a submarine attack, while the exact cause of the incident was not immediately known. Both Sri Lanka's navy and the air force said they were not releasing footage of the rescue because it involved the military of another state, reported Singapore-based news portal CNA.
Bodies recovered: Sri Lanka's foreign minister told parliament that the navy had responded to the distress call from the ship and launched rescue operations at 6 am (1230 GMT). "What we know at this point is that 79 people were rescued and brought to the hospital and one of them was seriously injured. Another 101 are believed to be missing and the vessel has sunk," Reuters quoted a Sri Lankan navy source, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. The sources said one of the people brought to the hospital had died. Later, AFP news agency quoted a local navy spokesman, Buddhika Sampath, as saying that a “few bodies” were found from the area where the ship had gone down.
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