Iran says bodies of sailors killed near Sri Lanka to be repatriated

March 10 (Daily Mirror) - Iran has announced that the bodies of dozens of sailors who were killed when the vessel IRIS Dena was attacked and sunk near Sri Lanka will soon be returned to the country.

According to a statement reported by Fars News Agency, the Iranian army’s public relations office said that 84 out of 104 recovered bodies have been identified and are expected to be transferred to Iran shortly.

The statement noted that the repatriation process is being carried out through the efforts of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, with the cooperation of the Sri Lankan government.

The announcement comes after the vessel was reportedly sunk by a United States Navy submarine last week. 

Earlier media reports had suggested that Washington was urging Sri Lanka not to repatriate the bodies of the Iranian sailors.