Sri Lanka arrests 15 Indian fishermen

Other fishermen, hailing from Jagadapattinam in Pudukottai district, were arrested near the Sri Lankan coast and taken to Kangesanthurai, he said.

Earlier this month, Sri Lankan Navy had arrested 14 Tamil fishermen and detained their three fishing boats.

However, uncertainty still remains over the number of Indian fishermen arrested by the Lankan navy and the exact figure will be known later in the day, the sources added.

According to reports, the attack occurred on Sunday when Sri Lankan naval officers hurled stones and bottles at the boat which injured one Indian fisherman.

They would be handed over to the fisheries department in that country and produced before courts, he said.

Sri Lanka and India have been trying to resolve the long-standing fishing issue with fishermen from both sides often entering each other’s waters which ends up in arrests and boats being detained.

Sri Lankan government says it is planning to introduce a new legislation to confiscate equipment of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters.