- Title: Sri Lanka treats Iranian sailors in hospital after U.S. strike
- Date: 5th March 2026
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MARCH 5, 2026) (REUTERS) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL MARK RUTTE SITTING DOWN FOR INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS JOURNALIST ANDREW GRAY, SAYING: "How big is the risk that an incident like this draws all of NATO into the conflict, that Iran or one of its proxies attacks a NATO ally, that ally invokes Article 5 and NATO suddenly then is at war with
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Colombo Gallee Iran Iris Dena Ship Sri Lanka Tehran U.S.
- Location: GALLE, SRI LANKA
- City: GALLE, SRI LANKA
- Country: Sri Lanka
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001121205032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Iranian sailors were seen being conveyed for treatment at a hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka on Thursday (March 5), a day after their warship was hit by a U.S. submarine strike.
Sri Lankan military rescuers responded to an early-morning distress call from the IRIS Dena on Wednesday (March 4) and recovered the bodies of 87 sailors. They rescued 32 survivors, who are being treated for minor injuries and expected to be released from hospital on Thursday.
Sri Lanka also said Thursday it was trying to "safeguard lives" on a second Iranian ship off its coast.
Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesman told parliament that various authorities were responding to the presence of an Iranian ship in Sri Lanka's exclusive economic zone outside its maritime boundary near the port of Colombo.
(Production: Waruna Karunatilake, Channa Kumara) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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