The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in the torpedo attack on the warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast are scheduled to be repatriated to Iran today on a special flight departing from Mattala International Airport, the Defence Ministry said.

On March 11, the bodies of the 84 Iranian sailors, stored in two mobile cold storage units at the Galle National Hospital, were ordered to be handed over to officials of the Embassy of Iran in Sri Lanka.

The order was issued by the Galle Chief Magistrate, Sameera Dodangoda, who directed the hospital’s director to release the remains to the Iranian embassy representatives. The directive was made following a request submitted to the Galle Magistrate’s Court by the Galle Harbour Police.

Iran announced that the bodies of the sailors killed when the United States attacked and sank the IRIS Dena vessel near Sri Lanka will soon be returned to the country. In a statement, the Iranian Army’s public relations office said that 84 of 104 bodies had been identified and would soon be transferred back to Iran. The statement noted that the repatriation is being carried out with the efforts of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the cooperation of the Sri Lankan government.

Meanwhile, discussions were held between government authorities and officials of the Iranian Embassy in Sri Lanka regarding the next steps concerning the Iranian sailors currently in Sri Lanka’s care.

When inquired by Ada Derana, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) stated that a decision on how to proceed with the Iranian sailors will be made after consultations with embassy officials.

A total of 32 sailors rescued from the IRIS Dena vessel, which was attacked by the United States in waters off Galle, and 204 sailors from the IRIS Bushehr vessel are currently under Sri Lanka’s care.

Amid the conflict between Iran and the United States, significant attention has focused on the decisions Sri Lankan authorities will take regarding the Iranian sailors.

Commenting on the incident, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala stated that the government will grant one-month free visas to the Iranian sailors and provide them with necessary facilities on humanitarian grounds. 

Deputy Minister Hansaka Wijemuni also expressed similar views regarding the measures to be followed concerning the Iranian sailors currently in Sri Lanka’s care, as well as the bodies of the deceased sailors.