WASHINGTON/GALLE(National Times)- The United States military carried out a strike that hit an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s coast, three US officials told Reuters on Wednesday. One of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strike was carried out by a US military submarine. An Iranian warship later sank off the coast of Sri Lanka, with Sri Lankan authorities saying on Wednesday they had rescued 32 people who were on board and recovered several bodies from the sea. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the ship, identified as IRIS Dena, had sunk in the Indian Ocean. Sources in Sri Lanka’s navy and defence ministry said the vessel had been attacked by a submarine and that at least 101 people were missing in the incident off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Defence sources said it was unclear who attacked the ship. A Sri Lankan navy spokesman rejected reports that 101 people were missing and declined to confirm the cause of the sinking. He said 32 injured people had been rescued by the Sri Lankan navy and were under treatment at a state-run hospital in the southern port city of Galle. The navy received a distress call from an Iranian ship and informed the Sri Lankan air force, and both launched a search and rescue operation, the spokesman said. Sri Lankan forces were focused on saving lives and would investigate the cause of the incident later, he said. He added that Sri Lankan forces had not observed any other ship or aircraft in the area at the time. “We are hopeful we can rescue more people and will continue operations until we are sure,” the spokesman said.The frigate had recently left India after participating in a fleet review, according to regional defence sources and social media posts tracking naval movements.