Indian Navy launches search, rescue operations after distress call from Iranian ship near Sri Lanka

The Indian Navy launched hunt and rescue (SAR) operations aft a distress telephone from Iranian vas IRIS Dena was received by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Colombo aboriginal Wednesday (March 4, 2026).

According to the Indian Navy, the vessel was operating astir 20 nautical miles westbound of Galle successful the SAR portion nether Sri Lankan responsibility.

The Indian Navy further added that the Sri Lankan Navy initially reported the distress situation. In response, the Indian Navy promptly deployed a long-range maritime patrol craft astir 1000 hours connected March 4 to enactment the hunt operations being led by the Sri Lankan authorities. Another craft equipped with air-droppable beingness rafts was besides kept connected standby for contiguous deployment.

The Indian Navy’s sail grooming vessel, INS Tarangini, which was operating nearby, was diverted to assistance the rescue efforts and reached the designated hunt country by 1600 hours the aforesaid day. By then, the Sri Lankan Navy and different agencies had already begun SAR operations successful the region.

Meanwhile, INS Ikshak has sailed from Kochi to further augment the hunt ngo and remains deployed successful the country to look for missing unit arsenic portion of humanitarian assistance to shipwrecked unit members.

Coordination betwixt the Indian and Sri Lankan authorities continues arsenic hunt efforts stay underway, it added