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 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran with the cooperation of the Government of Sri Lanka.
The announcement follows reports that the vessel was sunk near Sri Lanka last week by a submarine belonging to the United States Navy.
Earlier media reports had suggested that United States authorities had urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate the bodies of the Iranian sailors.
