Colombo, June 25 : Sri Lankan authorities arrested 10 Indian fishermen and reported the death of a Sri Lankan naval sailor during an operation aimed at apprehending a trawler engaged in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters, officials disclosed on Tuesday.
The incident occurred just two days after the Sri Lanka Navy detained 18 Indian fishermen for alleged poaching. The operation unfolded near the Delft islet off Northern Jaffna, where the Sri Lankan Navy responded to intelligence indicating illegal fishing by an Indian vessel and its crew within Sri Lankan maritime boundaries.
“Navy personnel launched an operation to apprehend an Indian trawler and its crew engaged in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Unfortunately, during the operation, a Sri Lankan sailor sustained chest injuries from an iron rod aboard the Indian trawler and succumbed,” explained Navy spokesman Captain Gayan Wickremasuriya to PTI.
Despite the casualty, Sri Lankan forces successfully seized the trawler and detained 10 Indian fishermen. According to the Navy, this year alone, over 200 Indian fishermen and 27 trawlers have been apprehended for illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
Most of these incidents occur in the Palk Strait, a narrow waterway separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka’s northernmost point, renowned for its abundant fishing resources that attract fishermen from both nations.
The issue of fishermen has long strained relations between India and Sri Lanka, occasionally leading to confrontations where Sri Lankan Navy personnel have resorted to firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats for unauthorized entry into Sri Lankan territorial waters.
