Ahmedabad/New Delhi, Sept 18: At least one Indian fisherman was killed in firing off the Gujarat coast Friday, the Indian Coast Guard said, even as the local fishermen association blamed the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (MSA) for the attack.
“One fisherman was killed in the firing today morning on a boat off Gujarat coast. Our team has rushed to the spot,” a senior Coast Guard official said.
Asked about the alleged involvement of Pakistan’s MSA, the official said a probe is underway and it would be premature to draw any conclusion at this stage.
The firing took place near the International Maritime Boundary Line(IMBL), Secretary of National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF) Manish Lodhari said.
“We learnt from the fishermen that several rounds were fired on the boat near IMBL at 9:00 AM. The fishing boat has been registered in Okha (about 500 km from Gandhinagar). A fisherman named Iqbal Abdul Bhatti (40) has been killed in firing,” he said.
“Iqbal was among six fishermen on the boat that had ventured into the sea from Okha port in Devbhoomi Dwarka district,” Lodhari said.
The Coast Guard deployed two of its vessels to the area where the fishing boats were targeted. The fishing boats had set sail from Okha September 8.
India and Pakistan share a disputed maritime boundary in the waters off the Gujarat coast and the region is patrolled by vessels from both sides. PTI
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