Cause of sinking not yet known after frigate IRIS Dena sends out distress call about 40 nautical miles (75km) off Sri Lankan coast.
Published On 4 Mar 2026
Sri Lanka says it has recovered several bodies and rescued 32 wounded sailors after an Iranian military ship sank just outside the island’s territorial waters.
Authorities told Al Jazeera the frigate IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles (75km) off Galle in southern Sri Lanka, sent out a distress call between 6am and 7am (00:30 to 01:30 GMT) on Wednesday.
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The cause of the distress was not yet known. The ship had about 180 crew members on board, and a search and rescue operation was under way.
The Iranian frigate was returning from having taken part in the 2026 International Fleet Review last month in eastern India’s coastal city of Vishakapatnam.
Sri Lankan 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 spokesperson said no other ship or aircraft was observed in the area where the Iranian warship sank.
Reporting from outside a hospital in Galle, where the wounded crew members were taken, Al Jazeera’s Minnelle Fernandez said Sri Lankan officials were still trying to figure out what happened to the nearly 150 other crew members.
“The government has not said anything about potential causes of the accident,” she said.
Fernandes said an Iranian embassy official in Colombo said two officers have been sent to Galle “to talk to the survivors to get a sense of what might have happened on the ship”.
The warship’s sinking occurred as the United States and Israel conduct air strikes on Iran for a fifth day after killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and nearly 800 other people, including dozens of schoolgirls.
Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and US-linked assets in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities. Six US service members have been killed and many others injured.