Two Australian sailors were aboard the U.S. submarine that torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, according to a report by Australian broadcaster 9News.
The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was struck by a torpedo fired from a U.S. submarine in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka earlier this week, marking the first time a U.S. submarine has sunk an enemy warship since World War II.
According to the 9News report, the two Australian sailors were serving aboard the nuclear-powered U.S. submarine as part of a training arrangement linked to the AUKUS security partnership.
Australia’s Department of Defence declined to disclose the rank or role of the sailors on the vessel. A defence spokesperson said there were “long-standing arrangements relating to third-country deployments” to ensure Australian interests were properly managed.
The spokesperson also stressed that the strike was carried out by the United States and Israel, not Australia.
The IRIS Dena had been returning to Iran after participating in multinational naval activities off India’s eastern coast when it was hit by the torpedo.
Sri Lankan authorities launched a search and rescue operation after the vessel sent a distress call about 40 nautical miles off the southern city of Galle. Sri Lanka’s navy said dozens of bodies were recovered and 32 sailors were rescued from the sea.
The incident has further heightened tensions in the widening conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. (Newswire)