A second Iranian Navy warship was reportedly heading toward Sri Lanka’s territorial waters on Thursday, March 5, 2026, just one day after a U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, killing at least 87 sailors.
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Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told parliament that the vessel was positioned just outside Sri Lankan waters but provided no further details on its identity, mission, or crew complement. Official sources speaking on condition of anonymity said the ship carried more than 100 personnel and raised fears it could face a similar fate amid heightened regional tensions.
Sri Lanka’s Navy confirmed ongoing search-and-rescue operations for missing crew from the sunken Dena. Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath told AFP that vessels were scouring the area where oil slicks and life rafts were found after the Wednesday morning attack.
At the main hospital in Galle, the southern port city nearest the incident site, 32 rescued Iranian sailors were receiving treatment under tight security provided by police and elite commandos. The Emergency Treatment Unit was placed off-limits to visitors and other patients, with a separate ward established for the Iranians.
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A nurse at the facility, speaking anonymously, said: “Most of them have minor injuries, but there were a few with fractures and burns.”
Authorities in Galle were preparing to hand over the remains of the 87 confirmed deceased sailors, with arrangements for repatriation underway in coordination with the Iranian embassy.
The U.S. military has not officially commented on the sinking, but sources close to CENTCOM have described the action as a “targeted defensive operation” in response to Iranian threats in the Indian Ocean corridor. The incident occurred amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, now in its third week, following joint strikes that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and triggered widespread Iranian missile and drone retaliation across the Gulf.
Sri Lanka has maintained strict neutrality in the conflict, repeatedly calling for dialogue and de-escalation. The government has not accused any party of the sinking but emphasized its commitment to international maritime law and search-and-rescue obligations.
The attack occurring more than 2,000 miles from Iran’s shores has raised serious concerns about freedom of navigation in international waters and the safety of naval vessels far from home waters. Shipping associations have advised tankers to avoid the broader Indian Ocean corridor until further notice.
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Iran has not yet issued an official comment on the sinking or the second warship’s movement.
This is a developing and highly sensitive situation.
DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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