Sri Lanka recovers some 80 bodies of Iranian sailors killed in US attack

Colombo, Mar 4 (PTI) Sri Lankan authorities on Wednesday said that they have recovered some 80 bodies of Iranian sailors killed after a US submarine attack that sank an Iranian naval ship off the island's southern coast.

Sri Lanka earlier said its Navy rescued 32 Iranian sailors from the distressed Iranian frigate - IRIS Dena- in the southern waters early this morning. The frigate was carrying around 180 sailors on board.

While the Sri Lankan Navy refused to give reasons as to what caused the vessel to make a distress plea, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters.

He said it was the first sinking of an enemy vessel by torpedo since World War II.

The Iranian ship recently participated in an international naval drill hosted by India. There was no immediate comment from the Indian Navy.

"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth told reporters in Washington. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo." Hegseth said the US military sank the Iranian ship named after "Soleimani”, the former Iranian Quds force chief general Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by US forces during President Donald Trump’s first term.

"I guess POTUS got him twice,” Hegseth said, referring to General Soleimani.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that an emergency message was received by the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard at 5.08 am regarding a sinking ship named IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles off the southern port district of Galle.

Herath said that the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force carried out a joint rescue operation.

"Thirty of them were rescued while around 180 were said to be on board,” he said.

Officials said they have recovered some 80 bodies of Iranian sailors.

Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra said the bodies are now at the hospital at Karapitiya in Galle.

Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath earlier told reporters in Colombo that several bodies were found near the location of the distress signal, though the exact number was not immediately available.

“At this point, it is difficult to give any numbers, but bodies have been found. As they were found closer to the point of distress, it is accepted that they were from the same ship," he said.

“When our teams reached the scene, we observed a large oil slick, indicating that the ship had sunk," Sampath added.

In response to a question, the spokesperson had categorically rejected media reports that the ship had been sunk in a submarine attack.

“We are only concerned about our obligation to rescue them as first responders under international maritime obligations,” he said.

Sampath said the cause of the distress signal would be determined later through investigations by specialised authorities.

Although the incident occurred outside Sri Lankan territorial waters, it fell within the country's search and rescue zone, he said.

Sampath confirmed the vessel was Iranian and the rescued crew members were wearing Iranian naval uniforms.

Air Force spokesman Nalin Wewakumbura said no other vessels or aircraft were detected in the area where the distress signal originated.

Hearth said Sri Lankan is bound by international conventions on maritime rescue to assist anyone in distress, irrespective of the reason.

The rescued sailors were taken to the Navy’s Southern Command headquarters and later admitted to Karapitiya Hospital in Galle, Herath added.

Officials said that security measures around the Southern Command have been increased.

Referring to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Herath said Sri Lanka deeply regretted the situation and urged a peaceful resolution. PTI CORR SCY ZH ZH