Sri Lankan Navy attacks Tamil Nadu fishermen

Rameswaram: Sri Lankan naval personnel allegedly pelted stones and snapped fishing nets of Tamil Nadu fishermen when they were fishing near Katchatheevu on Sunday, officials said.

Fishermen from this island had put out to sea in about 600 boats last night and were fishing in different locations near Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to the neighbouring country in the 1970s, when the Sri Lankan navalmen warned them to go back. However as the fishermen had anchored their boats they took some time to move away. In the meanwhile, the Sri Lankan navalmen snapped their fishing nets and pelted stones at the fishing boats, damaging one of them. No one was injured in the incident, officials said. Incidentally, the fishermen had resumed fishing activities only yesterday after calling off their strike to protest recent diesel price hike. PTI