India, March 5 -- The Indian Navy launched search and rescue operations after receiving a distress signal from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, which sank in the Indian Ocean after being struck by a torpedo from a United States submarine.

According to a Navy statement, the distress call from IRIS Dena was received by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Colombo in the early hours of March 4.

The frigate was located around 20 nautical miles west of Galle, within the search-and-rescue region under Sri Lanka's responsibility.

Another aircraft equipped with air-droppable life rafts remained on standby for immediate deployment if required.

Meanwhile, INS Ikshak sailed from Kochi to reinforce the mission and continued to search for miss...