Rameswaram: In continuing attacks
allegedly by Sri Lankan Navy, three fishermen were injured
when fishing boats from here were attacked in mid-sea early
on Thursday, officials said.
The Lankan navalmen, who had come in speed boats armed
with weapons, chased the fishermen by hurling stones and
cutting off their fishing nets and damaging their boats.
The fishermen alleged they were attacked even as they were
preparing to leave heeding their orders.
About 2,500 fishermen were fishing when they were
allegedly attacked. Three were injured while the others
managed to escape, fisheries department officials said.
The attack, fifth in the last one month, came a day after
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa asked Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh to exert pressure on Colombo to rein in the "rogue
elements" in the island navy.
In her fifth letter on the issue to Singh in recent
months, Jayalalithaa had said the attacks on the state
fishermen had caused "great unrest" among the people and they
should be construed as attacks on India and treated as a
national issue.
In three separate incidents over the past 11 days, 15
fishermen have been injured and 26 boats damaged in attacks
allegedly by Lankan Navy.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, November 17, 2011, 22:47