Mashhad: The bodies of nine Iranian border guards have been repatriated from Pakistan after 16 years, according to a military official.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the guards were taken hostage on June 13, 2008, when a terrorist group attacked the Saravan border outpost in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. The attackers disarmed the guards and transported 16 of them to Pakistan.

Among those who lost their lives, three guards were identified as being from the northeastern province of Razavi Khorasan. Brigadier General Majid Shoja, the commander of the Khorasan Razavi border guards, confirmed the identities of the deceased from this region as Ali Hojjati-Rad, Javad Hassanzadeh, and Hassan Safari.

A farewell ceremony is scheduled to honor the deceased guards on January 25 at the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad. This will be followed by a funeral ceremony the following day.