Indian fishermen attacked by Lankan counterparts

RAMESHWARAM: A group of Sri Lankan fishermen on Sunday morning hurled five country-made bombs at their Indian counterparts at sea between Dhanushkodi and Katchatheevu and sank a mechanised boat, before hijacking three boats along with 12 fishermen, Tamil Nadu fisheries department officials said.
    
The officials said three fishermen, Father Raju, Susai and Premkumar, were seriously injured in the incident, who later managed to reach Ramanathapuram coast.
    
About 200 fishermen were fishing in the area when their Sri Lankan counterparts, "without any provocation", attacked Irudhayaraj, a boat driver. The boat was blown into pieces before it sank, officials quoted the escaped fishermen.
    
Assistant Director of Fisheries Velpandian, later said that the hijacked fishermen were released in the afternoon along with their boats, though their belongings including fishing nets and catch were taken away by their Sri Lankan counterparts.
    
According to an escaped fisherman Balamurugan, the group of six Sri Lankan fishermen in one boat were armed with country-made weapons, knives and sickles.
    
Officials said cases have been registered by the police and investigations were on.