TEHRAN, March 10. /TASS/. The bodies of 84 sailors from Iran’s IRIS Dena frigate, which sank off Sri Lanka after being attacked by a US Navy submarine, have been identified and will be returned to the Islamic Republic soon, the Iranian military said.
"84 out of the 104 dead IRIS Dena sailors have already been identified and will soon return to their homeland thanks to efforts of the foreign ministry and the Sri Lankan government’s cooperation," Iran’s state TV and radio broadcaster quoted a military statement as saying.
A total of 20 crew members are still listed as missing.
On March 4, a US Navy submarine attacked the IRIS Dena frigate, causing it to sink off the coast of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan authorities rescued 32 people, all Iranian citizens, who were taken to hospital. A total of 87 bodies were recovered from the water; the remaining crew members remain missing.