JAKARTA - Defense Minister Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that a US submarine managed to sink an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
At least 80 people were killed in the US attack, Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister told local television on Wednesday, as reported by Al Arabiya from Reuters (4/4)
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath earlier told parliament that 180 people were on board the Iranian ship, which he identified as IRIS Dena.
A ship named IRIS Dena is listed as a participant in the naval exercise held in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to 25, according to the exercise's website.
Sri Lanka Navy spokesman, Commander Buddhika Sampath, said the bodies had been found from the sea in the area of the incident. Thirty-two people were rescued by the Sri Lankan navy and are being treated in a hospital in the port city of Galle in the south.
"The navy received an emergency call from an Iranian vessel and informed the Sri Lankan air force, and the two launched a search and rescue operation," he said.
The rescue boat that reached the scene did not see the ship and only observed the oil spill, said Sampath, adding that the incident occurred outside Sri Lanka's waters, but Colombo remained committed to providing support.
"The Sri Lankan forces are focused on saving lives on the Iranian ship and will investigate the cause of the incident later," he said.
Sri Lankan forces also did not observe any other ships or aircraft in the area of the incident, he added.
"We hope to save more people and will continue (operations) until we are sure," Sampath said.
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