India has taken up a strong protest with Sri Lanka after the latter’s Navy was accused of opening fire on Indian fishermen in the seas off Jaffna.
The incident, which occurred this week, left two fishermen from Karaikal injured. India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned Sri Lanka’s Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi to raise its objection over the firing and detention of recent cases of Indian fishermen.
India’s MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the protest, which stated that Sri Lankan authorities had detained 13 Indian fishermen, five of whom were injured, two seriously. The Indian MEA condemned the actions of the Sri Lankan Navy and repeated its demand for an immediate end to such incidents.
“Regarding number of fishermen, we have been giving out the numbers at certain interval... What I can tell you is that the last press release that was issued was in regard to 13 fishermen who were apprehended and 5 of them also sustained injuries, 2 of them seriously, and thereafter we had to summon the Sri Lankan acting high commissioner here in Delhi to convey a strong protest on it,” he said.
Earlier in the day, six detained Indian fishermen were released and sent back to Chennai. The release of six Indian fishermen earlier in the day comes as tensions rise over the handling of the Indian fishermen issue.
Source: IndiaTV News
--Agencies
