‘Rescue operations underway in response to distress call’: India on board Iranian ship sunk by US off Sri Lanka coast

Iranian warship IRIS Dena (data map)

The Indian Navy said on Thursday that India came to the rescue after the Iranian warship “IRIS Dena” received a distress call while on a mission in the Special Administrative Region of Sri Lanka. The Navy further revealed that it is still coordinating with the Sri Lankan police to assist in search and rescue.“According to reports from the Sri Lanka Navy, MRCC Colombo received a distress signal from IRIS Dena in the early hours of March 26. The ship was operating 20 nautical miles west of Galle, the Special Administrative Region under Sri Lanka’s responsibility. Upon receipt of the information, the Indian Navy immediately initiated search and rescue operations and began dispatching long-range maritime patrol aircraft at 1000 hours on March 26 to enhance the Sri Lanka-led search efforts,” it said in a statement.Further details disclosed by it added: “Another aircraft equipped with an air-drop life raft is also on standby and ready for immediate deployment. The “Talangeni” aircraft carrier operating nearby was deployed to assist in the rescue efforts and at 1600 on March 26 At this time, the Sri Lankan Navy and other agencies have launched search and rescue operations. The “Ikshayq” aircraft carrier has also set off from Cochin to strengthen search operations and continues to stay in the area to search for the missing persons. “The US Navy sank an Iranian warship returning from the Milan naval exercise, a multilateral exercise hosted by India. The attack in the Indian Ocean, which reportedly killed at least 80 sailors, came against the backdrop of a broader U.S. and Israeli campaign against Iran.