A chartered aircraft carrying the remains of Iranian sailors killed when a US submarine sank their frigate earlier this month departed Sri Lanka tonight.
Airport sources said the Airbus aircraft left Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport at 9.29 p.m. on Thursday (13) transporting the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors.
The remains had earlier been transferred from Galle to Mattala under tight security. Authorities said some of the sealed coffins were placed inside the aircraft cabin as the cargo hold could not accommodate all 84 coffins.
The sailors were among those killed when their frigate was sunk in an attack in the Indian Ocean on March 4. The bodies were recovered and brought to Sri Lanka before arrangements were made to repatriate them to Iran. (Newswire)
