Sri Lanka Rescues 30 Sailors from Sinking Iranian Warship

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Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities rescued 30 sailors from the Iranian frigate Iris Dena on Wednesday after the vessel began sinking just outside the island’s territorial waters, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament.

The 180-member crew had issued a distress call at dawn. Sri Lankan navy ships and an aircraft were quickly dispatched to carry out the rescue operation. Injured sailors were taken to a hospital in the southern city of Galle, approximately 115 kilometres (70 miles) from the capital, which had been placed on high alert.

Herath did not provide details on what caused the frigate’s distress. An opposition lawmaker asked in parliament whether the incident was linked to ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iran, but no immediate response was given by the government.

Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath emphasized that the operation followed international maritime obligations. “We responded to the distress call under our international obligations, as this is within our Search and Rescue Area in the Indian Ocean,” he said.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation as the rescue operation concludes.

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