Indian coast guard says deterring Sri Lankan attacks

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 January 2011, 17:05 GMT]
The Indian Coast Guard is taking steps to protect Indian fishermen from the attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN), outgoing Inspector General of the Eastern Region A. Rajasekhar told IANS last week. Speaking on Dec 29, the day after twenty Tamil Nadu fishermen were assaulted mid-sea by the SLN, he claimed the number of attacks on Indian fishermen were declining due to the Coast Guard’s vigilance. The Coast Guard has ordered twelve hovercraft to expand its capacity, he told IANS. The twenty fishermen were attacked in mid-sea off Dhanushkodi village, PTI quoted fisheries officials as saying in Rameswaram last Tuesday.

Sri Lankan navy personnel surrounded boats of the fishermen, opened fire in air and then pelted stones at them around midnight, they said.

Five of the fishermen were stripped off their clothes and thrown into sea, along with the group’s catch and nets, they added.

The incident would be taken up with Colombo through the Centre, fisheries officials told PTI.

Monday this week Indian navy and coast guard vessels rushed to the waters off a village in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu after a ‘deafening’ unexplained explosion was heard, PTI also reported.