A patrolling "fast attack" naval craft came under fire from the vessel 50 nautical miles north of Udappuwa, he said.
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's navy on Monday sank a suspected Tamil rebel trawler off the island's northwest coast, killing at least four people on board, a defence ministry spokesman said.
A patrolling "fast attack" naval craft came under fire from the vessel 50 nautical miles north of Udappuwa, he said.
"We returned fire and the trawler exploded in a huge ball of fire, and sank. Our sailors suspect there were four to five people aboard the trawler."
There was no confirmation of the report from the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The clash, in the narrow strait separating India and Sri Lanka, came a day after President Mahinda Rajapakse sounded out New Delhi about stepping up maritime patrols to prevent cross-border terrorism.
Rajapakse, who began a five-day working visit to India on Sunday, told reporters he planned to talk to Indian leaders about strengthening patrols along the Palk Strait.
"I will be explaining my position to them -- we want joint patrolling with India in the sea because not only arms are being smuggled into our country, but drugs are also coming," the president said.
"If the Tigers get stronger, that will be a threat not only to Sri Lanka but also to the world."
Rajapakse has accused the separatist LTTE of using Indian fishermen as cover to attack Sri Lanka's navy. Fishermen from both countries repeatedly charge that they are attacked by security forces or Tamil rebels in the rich coastal fishing grounds.
Sri Lankan forces have denied attacking fishermen. Three weeks ago, the Tigers captured four Sri Lankan sailors following a major sea battle further north, off the Jaffna peninsula.
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