Three U.S. officials said that the U.S. carried out a strike which sank a warship of Iran off Sri Lankan coast and prompted the Sri Lankan navy to?rescue dozens Iranian sailors.

According to one official, who spoke under condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of 'the issue,' the attack was conducted by a U.S. military submarine.

The U.S. attack triggered a distress signal and?Sri Lankan forces launched a search-and-rescue operation. Sri Lankan authorities reported that they had so far rescued 32 individuals and recovered several bodies from the sea.

Sri Lankan sources in the navy and defence ministry confirmed that the submarine had attacked the vessel and that at least 101 people are missing. The incident occurred off the coast of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean.

Defence sources stated that it was unclear as to who attacked the vessel.

The spokesman for the Sri Lankan Navy said that the reports of 101 missing people were 'false' and denied any reports about the cause of sinking of the ship.

The U.S. launched a war against Iran on Saturday, and the U.S. has been launching strikes against Iran's Navy.

The U.S. Central Command announced on?Tuesday that it had already sunk seventeen Iranian warships, and was on course to destroy Iran's navy. Reporting by Idrees Al and Phil Stewart, Editing by Andrew Heavens

(source: Reuters)