War Reaches India's Backyard Iran Warship Sunk Off Sri Lanka

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) ** Colombo-** An Iranian warship that had been welcomed at a multinational naval exercise in India just weeks ago now lies at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, after being struck and sunk by a United States submarine off Sri Lanka’s southern coast in an incident that has sharply underscored how the expanding Iran war is spilling into waters close to India.

The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena sank early Wednesday about 40 nautical miles south of the Sri Lankan port city of Galle after issuing a distress call around 5:30 a.m. local time, according to Sri Lankan authorities. Within hours, what began as a search-and-rescue effort evolved into a geopolitical flashpoint when US officials confirmed to Reuters that American forces had carried out the strike.

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Hospital authorities in Galle said at least 87 bodies had been brought ashore by rescuers responding to the emergency call. Thirty-two sailors were rescued and taken to hospital, while around 60 others remain missing from an estimated crew of about 180 personnel aboard the vessel.

The attack occurred hundreds of miles away from the Persian Gulf battlefront, where US and Israeli forces are striking Iran and Tehran is responding with missile and drone attacks. Yet the sinking of the Dena - in waters close to Sri Lanka and near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes - highlighted how rapidly the war is spreading beyond its original theatre.

According to Sri Lankan officials, the Moudge-class frigate had been sailing home from India after participating in the International Fleet Review and the MILAN multilateral naval exercise, a major naval drill hosted by India that brings together ships from dozens of countries.

The ship’s recent presence in India has drawn particular attention to the strike. In February, India’s Eastern Naval Command had publicly welcomed the Iranian vessel on its arrival at Visakhapatnam for the exercises.

“Indian Navy welcomes IRIS Dena of the Iranian Navy on her arrival at Visakhapatnam… reflecting long-standing cultural links between the two nations,” the command wrote on social media on February 17, sharing photographs of the ship and its officers.

Now, barely weeks after taking part in the Indian-hosted exercise, the same vessel has been destroyed in a US attack in waters not far from India’s maritime neighbourhood.

A video released by the Pentagon, purportedly showing the strike, depicts a massive explosion tearing through the rear of the ship, lifting part of the vessel from the water before it begins sinking stern-first.

Rescuers described a chaotic scene in the hours that followed.

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“People were floating in the water,” one Sri Lankan rescue official said as navy and coast guard teams rushed to the area.

Bodies wrapped in white sheets were brought in batches to Karapitiya Hospital in Galle, where they were transferred to the morgue.

According to Sri Lankan sources cited by Reuters, the commander of the vessel and several senior officers survived and told Sri Lankan naval officials that the ship had been hit by a submarine-launched attack.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed in parliament that around 180 sailors were aboard the vessel at the time of the strike.

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The incident has raised troubling questions across the region about the widening footprint of the US-led military campaign against Iran and the risks it poses to countries far from the primary conflict zone.

The Dena had not been operating near the Gulf battlefield but was returning from a multinational exercise hosted by India - an event designed to promote naval cooperation and maritime stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Analysts say the attack illustrates how the conflict is rapidly eroding traditional geographic boundaries.

What began as a confrontation centred on Iran and the Gulf has now reached the Indian Ocean, one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors and a region of vital importance to both India and global trade.

For India and Sri Lanka, the sinking of a ship that had recently been hosted at an Indian naval event marks an unsettling moment - a stark reminder that the war is no longer confined to distant waters but is beginning to brush against their own maritime backyard.

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