Amid the ongoing US‑Israeli war on Iran, more than 100 personnel are missing and dozens have been rescued with injuries after a submarine attack on an Iranian ship off Sri Lanka’s coast.
More than 100 personnel are missing and dozens have been rescued with injuries after a submarine attack on an Iranian ship off Sri Lanka’s coast.
Sources in the Sri Lankan navy and defence ministry told Reuters on Wednesday that at least 101 people were missing and 78 wounded after a submarine attack on an Iranian ship off Sri Lanka’s coast. The development has occurred in the midst of the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.
Sri Lanka did not name which country’s submarine attacked the Iranian ship.
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After
the United States and Israel launched the offensive against Iran on Saturday, the war has continued to expand, engulfing the entire West Asia and drawing in Gulf states and European nations as well — France has already deployed fighter planes and warships to the region for security operations.
With a submarine attacking an Iranian ship off the Sri Lankan coast, the war has literally arrived at India’s doorstep.
Iranian ship under attack participated in fleet review at Visakhapatnam
Sri Lanka identified the Iranian navy ship attacked as IRIS Dena, a frigate, that sent out a distress call off the coast of Galle, according to Daily Mirror.
The ship had also participated in the MILAN 26 fleet review at Visakhapatnam last month.
After receiving the distress call, the Sri Lankan navy and air force launched a joint operation to evacuate the crew on board as the incident occurred within Sri Lanka’s search and rescue area, according to the newspaper.
In the operation, the paper reported that 30 crew members of the vessel were rescued and admitted to the Karapitiya Hospital out of around 180 personnel on board. However, sources told Reuters that at least 78 sailors were rescued with injuries.
Iran has not yet commented on the development and neither Israel nor the United States have yet claimed responsibility for attacking the ship.
While Israeli submarines are unlikely to operate this far from their coasts, the US Navy has a presence in the Indian Ocean as its blue water navy with a global force and has a base at Diego Garcia, which is around 1,700 kilometres from Sri Lanka.
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