The submarine that sank the Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka was American, according to information initially reported by Reuters and later confirmed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Shortly afterward, the U.S. Department of Defense released documentary video footage showing the moment the submarine targets and torpedoes the Iranian frigate.
As he stated: "The Iranians no longer have morale, their air force does not exist, their navy lies at the bottom of the Persian Gulf; last night we sank their flagship. Yesterday, American submarines sank an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean with a single torpedo. Iran will continue to launch missiles and drones — they are terrorists. They cannot face us head-on. We will find them and kill them. We control their fate. Beware of fake news; the press wants to make President Trump look bad."
Sri Lankan authorities have announced that they rescued 32 people who were on board the ship and recovered several bodies from the sea.
Sources from Sri Lanka's navy and Ministry of Defense stated that the vessel, which had a crew of 180, was attacked by a submarine and that approximately 140 people were missing following the incident, which took place off the country's coast in the Indian Ocean.
The frigate was returning from an exercise to which it had been invited by India.
Alarm was raised along the coast of Sri Lanka when Iran's frigate IRIS Dena came under submarine attack and sank, leaving many dead. More than 140 people are reported missing, though the exact number remains unknown.
A spokesperson for Sri Lanka's navy stated that bodies believed to belong to crew members of the Iranian frigate have been recovered, but no further details regarding the number of fatalities can be provided.
The frigate had been participating in a joint exercise and is believed to have had 180 people on board.
"What we know so far is that 79 people were rescued and taken to hospital, one of whom was seriously injured. Another 101 people are considered missing and the vessel has sunk," said a Sri Lankan navy source, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Local media reported that the ship had sent out a distress signal off the coast of Galle, in southern Sri Lanka, and that the injured were transported to a hospital in the city.
Πηγή: en.protothema.gr
