The bodies of 84 sailors from the Dena frigate have been handed over to Iran’s embassy in Sri Lanka for repatriation to Iran.
Sri Lankan authorities have handed over the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors from the Dena frigate, which were kept at Galle Port Hospital, to the Iranian embassy for transfer to Iran via Mattala Airport.
An official from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defense told BBC Sinhala that the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors, the victims of the Dena frigate, which were kept at Galle Port Hospital, have been handed over to Iranian embassy officials to be returned to their country through Mattala International Airport in southern Sri Lanka.
A source at the Iranian embassy in Colombo has informed Reuters that these bodies will be transported to Iran by plane, and the flight for their return is scheduled for Friday, March 12th. Reuters has published images of trucks moving through crowded streets to transfer the bodies to the airport.
A few days ago, a court in Sri Lanka ruled that the bodies should be handed over to the Iranian embassy. Additionally, the Sri Lankan government has issued a one-month visa for 208 crew members of the Bushehr frigate, the second Iranian ship that was brought to the country’s port after requesting assistance.
The Dena frigate, which had gone to Sri Lanka at India’s invitation to participate in the 10-day Milan 2026 naval exercise, was hit by a U.S. submarine torpedo in international waters near Sri Lanka while returning to Iran and sank, an action that has sparked widespread reactions.
