Twelve fishermen were today injured when they were allegedly attacked by Sri Lankan naval personnel for fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters, Indian media reported.

It was a mistake by the fishermen who had gone as far as Iranatheevu, once a camp of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, to net fish there, the report said.

“Of the 664 boats, 600 had ventured into several points within Lankan territorial waters, including Iranatheevu, Kundu and Talaimannar,” the report said.

According to fishermen, the Lankan navy surrounded their boats, cut the fishing nets of more than ten vessels, and pushed four fishermen into the sea, and asked them to swim to their boat. Later the fishermen were asked to kneel down and were beaten up by the naval men, they alleged.

The Lankan Navy detained the four fishermen for a while before releasing them, the fishermen were quoted as saying by PTI.

The naval men also hurled stones and other objects including bottles, injuring eight of them but they managed to escape, the fishermen had told fisheries department officials in Rameswaram.

Officials said the 12 fishermen suffered minor injuries in the attack, the report said.

Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya, when inquired by Ada Derana, however completely denied that any such attack had taken place.