Lankan navy attacks TN fishermen, 20 boats damaged

The Sri Lankan Navy allegedly attacked a group of fishermen from Tamil Nadu on Tuesday and damaged their boats and fishing equipment, while they were fishing off the Katchatheevu island.

According to information reaching the police here, the navy personnel of the island nation subsequently chased away the fishermen after warning them of severe consequences.

Twenty boats were damaged and more than 10 fishermen sustained injuries in the attack, the police said, adding that the injured were admitted to a private hospital and discharged subsequently.

Over 2,500 fishermen from Rameswaram, who had put out to sea last night were forced to return to the shore this morning.

The incident comes a day after 80 fishermen from the state, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy in separate incidents early this year, returned to the Karaikal port from the island nation.

The released fishermen belonged to Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Puducherry districts, a government official said.

The Sri Lankan government had agreed to release the 80 fishermen last week.