104 killed in US attack on Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, Iran’s army says

ISTANBUL

Iran’s army said Sunday that 104 crew members of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena were killed and 32 others injured in a US attack last week.

According to the state news agency IRNA, the army said the vessel was attacked by the US Navy on March 4 in the water off Sri Lanka as it was returning from the Milan Peace 2026 naval drills in India.

Washington confirmed that an American submarine launched a torpedo attack on the Iranian vessel.

Sri Lanka said it launched a joint rescue operation after receiving a distress call from the ship, off the southern coast of Galle city. It added that 32 crew members were wounded and rushed to a local hospital.

The attack occurred as the US and Israel continued large-scale airstrikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and injuring over 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities.

Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.