VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 24, 2011) - Sona Resources Corp. (News - Market indicators)(FRANKFURT:QS7) (the "Company" or "Sona") is pleased to announce that it will initiate underground drifting on the Southwest Vein of its Elizabeth Gold Deposit ("Elizabeth") in April, as part of the Company's 2011 exploration plans. The Elizabeth Gold Deposit is located in the Lillooet Mining District of south-central British Columbia, approximately 220 kilometres north of Vancouver.

"We look forward to starting our 2011 exploration campaign, and we plan to build on last year's successful results," says John P. Thompson, Sona's President and CEO. "The underground program widens the scope of exploration, enabling us to expand the high-grade gold resources at Elizabeth."

In December 2010, a new underground portal on the Southwest Vein was established at the 2,300-metre level, and about 10 metres of adit was driven. A test hole drilled in the adit face intersected the quartz vein within seven metres.

Sona plans to drift along the Southwest Vein for 350 metres, drive an 80-metre raise on the mineralized zone, and accumulate a bulk sample of 5,000 tonnes. The Company will also develop several drill bays and complete 4,500 metres of underground diamond drilling focused on the Southwest Vein.

In addition, it will extend the existing underground drift on the Upper Adit northward along the West Vein, in the Jewellery Box zone (so called for the rich assay values and abundant visible gold found in its quartz veins) and complete one raise through this high-grade gold area.

The 2011 underground exploration program will:

• Elevate the current mineral resources from the Inferred to the measured and indicated categories (CIM and NI 43-101 standards).
• Conduct three-dimensional sampling and evaluation to increase confidence in this high-grade resource, which contains significant visible gold.
• Explore the Southwest Vein along strike and down dip with the goal of increasing gold resources.

To view the maps accompanying this press release, please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/sys324i.pdf

The results of the 2010 surface diamond drilling program on the Elizabeth Gold Deposit have yet to be included in the official resource numbers. Sona intends to incorporate them, along with the planned 2011 underground and surface exploration results, into a new NI 43-101 resource report in the fall of 2011.

Future drilling plans

Sona has submitted a multi-year notice of work ("NOW") permit application to the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines for an additional 10,000 metres of surface diamond drilling on the Elizabeth Gold Deposit. As well, in early January 2011 the Company submitted a NOW permit application for construction of two small sections of road totalling nine kilometres, to connect two forest service roads. This will directly link the Elizabeth Gold Deposit to the Blackdome Gold Mine via a 70-kilometre access road.

The content of this news release has been reviewed by John P. Thompson, P.Eng., a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101, with the ability and authority to verify the authenticity and validity of the data.

About Sona Resources Corp.

Since its inception in 1990, Sona has engaged in exploration activities at its mineral properties in Canada and the United States, as well as small-scale gold production at its flagship property, the 100 percent owned Blackdome Gold Mine ("Blackdome"), in south-central British Columbia, 250 kilometres north of Vancouver. At Blackdome, the indicated mineral resources are estimated to be 144,500 tonnes, grading 11.29g Au/t and containing 52,600 ounces of gold, and the inferred resource is estimated to be 90,600 tonnes, grading 8.79g Au/t (news release dated May 4, 2010). At its 100 percent owned Elizabeth Gold Property, 30 kilometres south of the Blackdome Gold Mine, Sona has outlined an inferred gold resource of 522,900 tonnes, grading 12.3g Au/t and containing 206,100 ounces of gold (news release dated June 8, 2009).

Sona aims to bring its fully permitted Blackdome mill back into production over the next three years at a rate of 200 tonnes per day, with feed from the former-producing Blackdome Gold Mine and the Elizabeth Gold Deposit A positive Preliminary Economic Assessment by Micon International Ltd. (news release dated May 28, 2010), at a gold price of $950 per ounce over an eight-year period, has estimated pre-tax cash flow of $27 million and pre-production capital costs of $21 million.

Sona also holds a 100 percent interest in the Montgolfier Project, located in Quebec, 40 kilometres east of the multimillion-ounce Casa Berardi Mine gold deposit.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, and such statements involve risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted may differ materially from actual results or events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or any other occurrence.