Sri Lanka Orders Transfer of Iranian Sailors' Bodies Following US Attack

A Sri Lankan court has ordered the transfer of the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors, who were killed in a US attack on an Iranian vessel, to Iran's embassy. The bodies are currently stored in Galle National Hospital until arrangements for repatriation are finalized.

A Sri Lankan court has mandated that the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors, victims of a US assault on a vessel near Sri Lanka's coast, be transferred to Iran's embassy. Presently, these bodies are housed in freezer units at Galle National Hospital.

The directive was issued by Galle Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda following an appeal from the Galle Harbour Police. Last week, Sri Lankan authorities recovered the bodies after the US submarine attack sunk the IRIS Dena frigate, returning from a naval exercise in India.

Stored under emergency cooling solutions due to limited morgue capacity, the bodies await repatriation. Meanwhile, 32 sailors who survived the attack have been discharged and moved to military facilities until further transfer arrangements are made.

(With inputs from agencies.)