Iranian warship sinks off Sri Lanka coast while returning from India, several killed

An Iranian naval warship that recently participated in maritime exercises in India has sunk in international waters south of Sri Lanka, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation amid conflicting reports over the cause of the incident and the fate of those on board.

The vessel, identified as the Moudge-class frigate IRIS Dena, went down on Wednesday approximately 40 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Sri Lankan authorities said the ship had earlier taken part in the International Fleet Review 2026 in India before beginning its return journey. The frigate was believed to be carrying around 180 crew members at the time of the sinking.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath informed Parliament that the Iranian military vessel had issued a distress call before going down beyond Sri Lankan territorial waters. Despite the incident occurring in international waters, Colombo swiftly mobilised its navy and air force to assist in rescue operations.

Early reports from unnamed Sri Lankan naval and defence sources claimed the ship may have been attacked by a submarine and suggested that at least 101 crew members were missing. However, a Sri Lankan navy spokesman firmly rejected these assertions, dismissing both the reported casualty figures and speculation about the cause of the sinking. “Reject reports of any reported causes for the ship sinking,” the spokesman said, adding that authorities were focused solely on rescue efforts and could not confirm the number of fatalities.

The Sri Lankan navy confirmed that 32 injured personnel had been rescued and admitted to a state-run hospital in the southern port city of Galle. Several bodies were recovered from the sea and are believed to be crew members, with identification procedures underway. Officials said no other ships were observed in the vicinity at the time of the distress call, and the Sri Lanka Air Force reported no unusual aerial activity in the area.

Authorities stated that the distress call was received and immediately relayed to the air force, prompting a coordinated maritime and aerial search operation. “We are hopeful we can rescue more people and will continue operations until we are sure,” the navy spokesman said, underlining Sri Lanka’s commitment to assist despite the incident occurring outside its territorial waters. The sinking of a foreign military vessel in such proximity to the island has heightened regional security concerns as investigations continue.