Colombo: Sri Lanka’s fisheries minister Ramalingam Chandrasekeran Monday accused the Indian coast guards of assaulting the fishermen from the island nation within its waters.
While addressing the media over the incident, Ramalingam, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, said that the Indian High Commission has been informed about the incident.
Three trawlers with 12 fishermen had ventured out for fishing from the Wellamankaraya fishing harbour at Wennappuva in the northwestern coast. They were attacked by the Indian coast guards within Sri Lanka’s maritime boundary January 29, the minister said.
The Navy deployed a vessel to bring ashore four fishermen who had been badly injured. Another naval craft was moved to bring back six more injured fishermen, the Naval spokesman Buddika Sampath said.
“Three trawlers had come under attack, two of them were within Sri Lankan waters when they were attacked”, Tyronne Mendis, an official from the fishermen’s association, said.
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