Sri Lanka Repatriates Remains Of 84 Iranian Sailors Killed In US Torpedo Strike

Sri Lanka recently repatriated the remains of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a US submarine attack on their frigate.

This incident occurred on March 4, 2026, off the southern coast near Galle.Incident

The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was torpedoed by a US submarine while in international waters, about 19 nautical miles from Galle, sinking the vessel and killing 84 crew members. The ship had been returning from a naval fleet review in Visakhapatnam, India.

Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 survivors, who received medical care , even as the bodies were stored at Karapitiya Hospital in Galle pending legal clearance.

On March 11, Chief Magistrate Sameera Dodangoda ordered their release to the Iranian Embassy, with all procedures completed by March 13.

Iran arranged a chartered flight for repatriation on March 13 or 14, as confirmed by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo.

The attack marks an escalation of Middle East tensions into the Indian Ocean. The International Committee of the Red Cross was consulted for the injured survivors, who remain in Sri Lanka, but did not handle the repatriation.