Upon receiving the information, Indian Navy immediately activated its resources. A long-range maritime patrol aircraft was deployed at 10 am to support and augment the primary search operations led by the Sri Lankan Navy
Frame grab showing periscope footage of a US Navy submarine sinking the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday. PIC/AFP
The Indian Navy has swiftly responded to a distress call from the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena, which encountered an emergency in the Indian Ocean, by launching dedicated search and rescue (SAR) efforts in coordination with Sri Lankan authorities.
According to an official press release issued by the Indian Navy on Thursday, MRCC Colombo received the distress signal from IRIS Dena in the early hours of Wednesday. The vessel was positioned around 20 nautical miles west of Galle, falling within Sri Lanka's designated SAR region.
Upon receiving the information, Indian Navy immediately activated its resources. A long-range maritime patrol aircraft was deployed at 10 am to support and augment the primary search operations led by the Sri Lankan Navy. An additional aircraft equipped with air-droppable life rafts was placed on standby for rapid deployment if required.
INS Tarangini, already operating in the nearby area, was promptly tasked for rescue assistance and reached the search zone by 4 pm.
By then, SAR activities were already underway involving the Sri Lankan Navy and other regional agencies.
Further bolstering the efforts, INS Ikshak sailed from Kochi to join the operation and remains in the area conducting searches for any missing personnel as a humanitarian gesture towards the shipwrecked crew.
The Indian Navy stated that close coordination with Sri Lankan counterparts on the ongoing SAR mission continues without interruption.
‘Frigate Dena, guest of India’s Navy, hit without warning,’ Iran says US will ‘bitterly regret’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi has strongly condemned the United States for attacking and sinking the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, calling the incident an “atrocity at sea” and warning that Washington would “bitterly regret” setting such a precedent.
Aragchi said the warship had recently visited the Indian Navy and was carrying nearly 130 sailors at the time of the attack. He accused the US of launching the strike without warning in waters far from Iran’s territory.
“The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores. Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning. Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,” the Iranian Foreign Minister said in a post on X.
The remarks came after an American submarine torpedoed and sank the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The attack reportedly marked the first time since World War II that the US has sunk an enemy ship using a submarine-fired torpedo.
The frigate, a relatively small warship, had been returning from naval engagements in India when it was targeted. The IRIS Dena had participated in the Milan International Fleet Review in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to 25, where it was welcomed by the Indian Navy.
“Indian Navy welcomes IRIS Dena, of the Iranian Navy, on her arrival at Visakhapatnam... reflecting long-standing cultural links between the two nations,” the Indian Navy had said in a message posted on X during the visit.
The multinational naval exercise included participants from around 74 countries. The United States did not take part. The US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney had initially been scheduled to participate but withdrew shortly before the exercise began. The event concluded on February 25.
According to reports, the IRIS Dena departed from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and was on its return journey when it was attacked in international waters near the southern coast of Sri Lanka on March 4.
US officials did not deny responsibility and openly acknowledged the sinking.
“An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,” US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said while commenting on the strike.
Rescue operations were launched immediately. The Sri Lankan Navy has so far rescued around 30 sailors from the IRIS Dena. Survivors were taken to Karapitiya Hospital in the southern port city of Galle for medical treatment.
The attack has further heightened tensions in the region amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel.
The current war began on February 28 when the US and Israel carried out coordinated strikes on Iran, reportedly targeting the country’s missile arsenal and nuclear facilities. The attacks also resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
(With IANS inputs)
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