The cause of the sinking is still unknown after the frigate IRIS Dena sent a distress call about 40 nautical miles (75 km) off Sri Lanka.
Published March 4, 2026
Sri Lanka says it has recovered several bodies and rescued 32 injured sailors after an Iranian military ship sank just outside the island’s territorial waters.
Authorities told Al Jazeera that the IRIS Dena frigate, located about 40 nautical miles (75 kilometers) from Galle in southern Sri Lanka, sent a distress call between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. (00:30 to 01:30 GMT) on Wednesday.
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The cause of the discomfort is still unknown. The ship had around 180 crew on board and a search and rescue operation was underway.
The Iranian frigate was returning from participating in the International Fleet Review 2026 last month in the coastal city of Vishakapatnam, in eastern India.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the navy received information that the ship was in distress and the government sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission.
A Sri Lankan navy spokesman said no other ships or aircraft were observed in the area where the Iranian warship sank.
Al Jazeera’s Minnelle Fernandez, reporting from outside a hospital in Galle where the injured crew members were taken, said Sri Lankan officials were still trying to find out what happened to the nearly 150 other crew members.
“The government has not said anything about the possible causes of the accident,” he said.
Fernandes said an official at the Iranian embassy in Colombo said two officers had been sent to Galle “to talk to the survivors and get an idea of what may have happened on the ship.”
The sinking came as the United States and Israel carry out airstrikes against Iran for a fifth day after killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and nearly 800 others, including dozens of schoolchildren.
Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks against Israel and US-linked assets in the Gulf countries, causing multiple deaths. Six US service members have been killed and many others have been injured.
