Sri Lanka is repatriating the remains of 84 Iranian sailors who perished when their frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine torpedo attack off its coast on March 4. The bodies are being flown out from Mattala International Airport to Iran via a chartered aircraft sent by Iran.
Key Takeaways
Sri Lanka is repatriating the remains of 84 Iranian sailors killed when their frigate, IRIS Dena, was sunk by a US submarine torpedo attack off its coast on March 4. The bodies are being flown out from Mattala International Airport to Iran via a chartered aircraft.
- Sri Lanka repatriates remains of 84 Iranian sailors killed in US attack
- 32 rescued sailors remain in Sri Lanka, with 22 discharged and held at an air force base
- Sri Lanka provides safe harbour for IRIS Bushehr crew and is repairing one of its malfunctioning engines
- A third Iranian ship sought refuge in India's Kochi port
The seamen were killed in the Indian Ocean when IRIS Dena was torpedoed just off the coast of Sri Lanka, extending the Middle East war to the region. According to Thushara Rodrigo, spokesman for Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry, all domestic procedures have been completed for the repatriation.
The 32 sailors who were rescued by Sri Lanka's navy will remain in the country. Of these, 22 have since been discharged and are being held at an air force base in the south of the island, away from the crew of another Iranian warship, IRIS Bushehr, which is currently in Sri Lankan waters with a crew of 219.
A third Iranian ship passed Sri Lanka and entered safe harbour in India's southern port of Kochi. That vessel’s 183 crew are in Indian custody. Both Colombo and New Delhi have said they provided shelter to the Iranian sailors due to 'humanitarian considerations' amid fears that they too could be killed in US attacks.
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