Indian Navy launched search operation after US torpedoed Iranian warship

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 authoritiesAccording 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 Lankas designated SAR regionUpon receiving the information Indian Navy immediately activated its resources A longrange 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 airdroppable life rafts was placed on standby for rapid deployment if requiredINS Tarangini already operating in the nearby area was promptly tasked for rescue assistance and reached the search zone by 4 pmBy then SAR activities were already underway involving the Sri Lankan Navy and other regional agenciesFurther 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 crewThe Indian Navy stated that close coordination with Sri Lankan counterparts on the ongoing SAR mission continues without interruptionlsquoFrigate Dena guest of Indiarsquos Navy hit without warningrsquo Iran says US will lsquobitterly regretrsquoIranrsquos 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 ldquoatrocity at seardquo and warning that Washington would ldquobitterly regretrdquo setting such a precedentAragchi 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 Iranrsquos territoryldquoThe US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea 2000 miles away from Iranrsquos shores Frigate Dena a guest of Indiarsquos 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 setrdquo the Iranian Foreign Minister said in a post on XThe 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 submarinefired torpedoThe 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 NavyldquoIndian Navy welcomes IRIS Dena of the Iranian Navy on her arrival at Visakhapatnam reflecting longstanding cultural links between the two nationsrdquo the Indian Navy had said in a message posted on X during the visitThe multinational naval exercise included participants from around 74 countries The United States did not take part The US Navyrsquos guidedmissile destroyer USS Pinckney had initially been scheduled to participate but withdrew shortly before the exercise began The event concluded on February 25According 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 4US officials did not deny responsibility and openly acknowledged the sinkingldquoAn American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters Instead it was sunk by a torpedo Quiet deathrdquo US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said while commenting on the strikeRescue 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 treatmentThe attack has further heightened tensions in the region amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran the US and IsraelThe current war began on February 28 when the US and Israel carried out coordinated strikes on Iran reportedly targeting the countryrsquos missile arsenal and nuclear facilities The attacks also resulted in the killing of Iranrsquos Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali KhameneiWith IANS inputs