Colombo: The remains of 84 Iranian sailors who were killed in a US strike in international waters off the southern coast of Sri Lanka are being returned to Iran, Sri Lankan officials announced Friday. The operation to repatriate the bodies comes in the wake of a tragic naval incident earlier this month.
According to Anadolu Agency, 45 bodies have already been moved from a cold-storage facility in Galle, a city in southern Sri Lanka, to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. These remains are being prepared for airlifting back to Iran. This development follows an order from Galle Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda, who instructed hospital authorities to hand over the sailors' bodies to the Iranian Embassy in Colombo.
The sailors were casualties of a US submarine attack on the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean. The attack led to extensive loss of life, with Iran's military reporting 104 fatalities. Sri Lankan authorities, who were involved in the subsequent rescue mission, confirmed the recovery of 84 bodies and the rescue of 32 sailors, while some personnel remain unaccounted for.
In a related incident, Sri Lanka also evacuated 208 crew members from another Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr, after it requested assistance. Both Iranian ships were returning from the Milan Peace 2026 naval drills held in India when the attacks occurred.
The Sri Lankan government has extended one-month visas to the rescued sailors, facilitating their temporary stay in the country. Meanwhile, debris and oil barrels from the sunken IRIS Dena have been reported along Sri Lanka's southern coastline, leading to ongoing cleanup and environmental monitoring efforts.
This naval episode has occurred amidst heightened regional tensions following a joint US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28. The assault reportedly resulted in over 1,300 casualties, including high-profile figures such as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran has launched drone and missile strikes targeting various countries in the region and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint for global oil and gas trade.