West Asia conflict | Iranian ship IRIS Dena struck by submarine sinks in Indian Ocean region, crew missing

Sri Lanka's deputy ‌foreign ‌minister ‌said ⁠on Wednesday that atleast 80 people were killed.

The war in West Asian war has seemingly reached the Indian Ocean as an Iranian warship was struck by a submarine off the Sri Lankan coast.

A Reuters report quoting an anonymous United States official said that Washington had carried out the attack.

The Sri Lankan Navy said it had rescued 32 sailors who were on board, while adding that they recovered several bodies.

Sri Lankan Foreign minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the ship was identified as IRIS Dena and has sunk.

Sri Lanka's deputy ‌foreign ‌minister ‌told ‌local television ⁠on Wednesday that at least 80 people were killed.

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The rescued are being treated at a state-run ‌hospital in the southern port city of ‌Galle.

The Sri Lankan Navy received a distress call from an Iranian ship and informed the Sri Lankan Air Force. The two launched a search and rescue operation, a Sri Lankan defence ministry spokesperson told Reuters.

Sri Lankan forces were focused on saving lives on the Iranian ship and will investigate the cause of the incident later, Reuters quoted the source as saying.

Sri Lankan forces had also not observed any other ship or aircraft in the area of ​the incident.

Earlier, the US military said it destroyed ⁠17 Iranian ships, ⁠including a ‌submarine, ​and struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran.

"Today, there is not ‌a single ⁠Iranian ship underway in ‌the Arabian ‌Gulf, Strait of ‌Hormuz, ‌or Gulf of Oman," U.S. ⁠Central Command's ⁠Brad Cooper said in a video posted to X.