SL informs India of LTTE using Tamil Nadu fishing fleet

[Wednesday, February 06, 2008 - 06.30 GMT]  

Sri Lanka has made representations to the Indian authorities about the incident of two Indian trawlers being used to attack the Sri Lankan Navy taking cover behind a large cluster of Indian trawlers that were within Sri Lankan waters in north of Talaimannar on February 5.

The Indian authorities have expressed its interest in receiving fullest information on this incident in order to proceed with their own inquiries.

Sri Lanka Navy sources said that two of its coastal patrol craft were fired upon by a boat that came along with a cluster of Indian Fishing vessels in the Gulf of Mannar on February 4. According to the sources, one of the boats among the poaching Indian fishing vessels had pretended to be in distress and requested assistance from the Navy boats. When approached the boats had opened fire at the navy vessel, the sources added.

Navy Media Spokesman, Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake said that the over 200-300 Indian fishing trawlers enter into Sri Lankan waters per week despite the presence of the powerful Indian Navy and the Coastguards on the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between the two countries.

Speaking further, Commander Dassanayake stated that the Sri Lanka navy has been providing humanitarian assistance to Indian fishermen in distress whenever needed. However, the excessive poaching by the Indian fishing vessels has created a situation that terrorists can exploit, he said.

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