A court in Sri Lanka has directed authorities to hand over the bodies of 84 sailors killed in last week’s attack on an Iranian naval vessel to the Iran embassy, local media reported on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The sailors were aboard the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, which was struck by a torpedo allegedly fired from a United States submarine in the Indian Ocean. The vessel was returning from a naval exercise hosted by India when the attack occurred, amid the ongoing US‑Israel war on Iran.
Sri Lankan Civilians Crowdsource ₹2.2M Cold Storage For Iranian Sailors’ Bodies
Earlier in a gesture of humanitarian solidarity, civilians and port workers in Sri Lanka have crowdfunded and donated a 2.2 million Sri Lankan rupee cold storage unit to preserve the bodies of Iranian sailors recovered after a United States submarine torpedoed the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean. The unit will store the remains until they can be repatriated to Iran for final rites.
Deadly Strike Off Sri Lanka’s Coast
The incident occurred on March 4, 2026, when a US submarine reportedly torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena about 19 nautical miles off the southern port city of Galle in Sri Lanka.
According to reports, the attack killed at least 87 sailors, while 32 survivors were rescued. Sri Lanka’s navy recovered the bodies and brought both the deceased and survivors ashore following the strike.
