Sri Lanka Says Iranian Ship Sinks off Coast

In remarks to Sri Lankan lawmakers, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said navy vessels and an aircraft were involved in a rescue operation, but did not specify what caused the Iranian warship to sink.

The 180-crew frigate had issued a distress call at dawn. Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry said it was still searching for missing sailors.

The Reuters news agency, as quoted by DW, citing unnamed Sri Lankan Defense Ministry sources, said at least 101 people were missing after a "submarine attack" on an Iranian ship.

A Sri Lankan navy spokesperson later said the report of 101 people being missing was not true, and that 32 people injured in the incident had been rescued by the Sri Lankan navy and ‌were under treatment in hospital.

Navy spokesperson Buddhika Sampath told the French AFP news agency that Sri Lanka "responded to the distress call under our international obligations, as this is within our search and rescue area in the Indian Ocean."

Sampath said the sailors were being treated at a hospital in Galle, 115 kilometers (70 miles) south of the capital, Colombo. Sri Lankan officials said they were not releasing footage of the rescue because it involved the military of another country.

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