Sri Lanka Begins Repatriation of Iranian Sailors Killed in Submarine Attack Near Coast

Colombo. Sri Lanka announced Friday that it has begun the process of sending the remains of 84 Iranian sailors, killed in an attack by an American submarine near its coast, to Iran. The incident, which occurred nine days ago, resulted in significant loss of life due to the sinking of an Iranian warship.

According to Sri Lankan officials, the sailors died when the Iranian frigate 'IRIS Dena', located in Sri Lankan waters, was struck by a torpedo on March 4. The incident is seen as an indication that the effects of the ongoing war in the Middle East have spread to the Indian Ocean.

Government spokesman Thusara Rodrigo stated that all necessary domestic procedures have been completed and the Iranian side is preparing to send a chartered aircraft to take the bodies home. He added that the 32 Iranian sailors rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy will remain in Sri Lanka for the time being.

Officials stated that arrangements have been made to send the remains of the deceased sailors, placed in sealed boxes, from Mattala International Airport in the south of the country to Iran. An official said that by Friday afternoon, the first batch of 46 bodies was awaiting an Iranian chartered cargo plane at the airport.

The bodies recovered from the Indian Ocean were initially taken to Karapitiya Hospital in Galle, about 115 kilometers south of the capital Colombo. After the post-mortem examination was completed there, the local magistrate ordered the transfer of the remains to the Iranian Embassy in Colombo for onward transmission to the families of the deceased.

When contacted by AFP for comment on the matter, the Iranian Embassy in Colombo did not immediately issue a statement.