The bodies of 84 identified Iranian sailors who lost their lives in the US attack on the warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast have been repatriated to Iran, as confirmed by Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry. The bodies were transported to Iran via a special flight that departed from Mattala International Airport in the country’s Southern Province. Galle Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda ordered the release of the bodies, previously kept in mobile cold storage units at the Galle National Hospital, to officials from the Iranian embassy in Sri Lanka on March 11.
Iran has announced that the bodies of the deceased sailors will be returned home soon, with the Iranian Army’s public relations office stating that the transfer will be facilitated through joint efforts of Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Sri Lankan government. Sri Lanka, earlier this week, expressed that it was not pre-informed about the US strike on the Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, near its maritime boundary. Minister of Health and Mass Media Nalinda Jayatissa mentioned that Sri Lanka’s Navy responded promptly upon learning of the incident, with 32 individuals rescued alive and 10 still under treatment.
A total of 87 bodies were recovered during search operations, with Jayatissa stating that he was unaware of who first alerted Sri Lankan authorities about the incident. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had disclosed on March 4 that a US submarine sank the Iranian warship in international waters, marking the first enemy vessel sinking by a torpedo since World War II. The Iranian warship had participated in a naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to 25.
