Iraq, Iran exchange remains of 153 Gulf War I victims

Iraq and Iran exchanged on Thursday the remains of 153 soldiers who fell victim to the Gulf War I between September, 1980, and August, 1988. The swap operation, the fruit of a joint prolonged search in Basra city, south Iraq, took place at Al-Shalamjeh land border crossing, according to a statement by the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights. The Iraqi authorities handed over the remains of 107 Iranian soldiers and received the remains of 46 Iraqi soldiers. An official funeral service was held for the Iraqi soldiers in Basra with local civilian and military officials attending, the statement added.