At least 100 people are missing after an Iranian military ship sank off the coast of Sri Lanka, authorities said on Wednesday.
While search and rescue operations are ongoing, the cause of the incident remains unclear.
Sri Lankan officials said several bodies had been recovered and 32 injured sailors rescued after the Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, went down just outside the country’s territorial waters.
The ship, which was carrying about 180 crew members, sent out a distress call between 6:00 am and 7:00 am local time while located about 40 nautical miles (75 kilometres) off the coast of Galle in southern Sri Lanka, authorities told Al Jazeera.
Cause of Sinking Not Yet Determined
A search and rescue operation involving the Sri Lankan navy and air force was immediately launched, but officials said the cause of the distress call and subsequent sinking had not yet been determined.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Vijitha Herath, told parliament that the navy received information that the Iranian warship was in trouble and dispatched vessels and aircraft to assist in rescue operations.
A Sri Lankan navy spokesperson said no other ships or aircraft were observed in the area at the time the frigate sank.
The IRIS Dena was returning from eastern India’s coastal city of Visakhapatnam, where it had participated in the 2026 International Fleet Review last month.
Speaking outside a hospital in Galle where the wounded sailors were taken, Al Jazeera correspondent Minnelle Fernandez said Sri Lankan authorities were still trying to account for nearly 150 crew members believed to be missing.
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“The government has not provided any information on the possible causes of the accident,” she reported.
According to Fernandez, an official of the Iranian embassy in Colombo said two Iranian officers had been sent to Galle to speak with survivors and gather information on what may have happened aboard the ship.
The sinking comes amid heightened regional tensions as the United States and Israel continue air strikes on Iran for a fifth consecutive day following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and hundreds of others.
Iran has since retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and US-linked assets in Gulf countries, resulting in multiple casualties, including the deaths of six US service members.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
