Before sinking in American attack Iranian warships India had given IRIS Dena the option of safe stay at any of its ports. This offer was made at a time when the military conflict between America and Iran was increasing rapidly in West Asia. However, before the ship could reach the Indian port, it was targeted by an American submarine with torpedoes in the sea near Sri Lanka.
At the same time, India has given permission to the second Iranian ship IRIS Lavan, which is suffering from technical problems, to dock at Kochi Port. This entire incident has been revealed in a report of Indian Express.
Attack took place after departure from Visakhapatnam
According to the report, Iranian frigate IRIS Dena took part in the international naval exercise organized in Visakhapatnam, India. This warship participated in the International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026 naval exercise, which ended on 25 February. After this the ship left for its next destination in the sea. According to the Indian Navy, on the morning of March 4, about 20 nautical miles west of Galle, Sri Lanka, this warship became a victim of American attack.
Tension increased after America-Israel attacks
According to the report, on February 28, Israel and America carried out air strikes on several Iranian targets. After this the tension in the area had increased considerably. In view of this situation, India had proposed to provide safe harbor to the Iranian warship.
Second Iranian ship reaches Kochi
Meanwhile, another Iranian warship IRIS Lavan was forced to ask for help from India due to technical problems. On February 28, Iran requested India to grant temporary shelter to the ship. The Government of India gave its permission on 1 March and the ship reached Kochi port on 4 March. According to officials, 183 crew members of the ship have been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi.
Sri Lanka also gave docking permission to Iranian ship
On the other hand, Sri Lanka has also allowed another Iranian ship IRIS Bushehr to dock at one of its ports. A day before this, the Sri Lankan Navy had started a search and rescue operation after receiving an SOS message from IRIS Dena.
India also involved in the rescue operation
According to Sri Lankan officials, the rescue team safely rescued 32 sailors from the sinking ship. It was confirmed that 87 bodies were brought by the military rescue team to the hospitals of Galle. Out of about 180 people present on the ship, about 60 are still reported missing. The Indian Navy also deployed its resources to help in the rescue operations. In this, Boeing P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and naval ship INS Tarangini were sent to the area.
Apart from this, INS Ikshak was also dispatched from Kochi to help in the search of missing personnel. The Navy had also kept another aircraft equipped with air-droppable life rafts ready. This entire incident has created new concerns regarding increasing strategic tension and maritime security in the Indian Ocean region.
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