Sri Lankan Gang Attacks Indian Fishermen, Loots Equipment Worth Rs 4 Lakh

A fresh incident of high-seas violence has been reported off the Tamil Nadu coast - 11 Indian fishermen from Nagapattinam district were allegedly attacked by a group of unidentified men from Sri Lanka in Indian waters late last night.

Confirming the incident, a senior Fisheries Department officer told NDTV, "The attack, according to fishermen, took place last night in Indian waters off the Kodiyakarai area in Nagapattinam. Fishermen say they weren't Lankan navy personnel but unidentified men from Sri Lanka."

According to reports from local authorities and fishermen, the group of eight men arrived in two boats, assaulted the Indian fishermen with iron rods, wooden logs, and knives, and looted their belongings. The attackers reportedly took away fishing nets, GPS devices, mobile phones, batteries, and other boat equipment, estimated to be worth around Rs 4 lakh.

Two fibre boats - belonging to local fishermen Chandrababu and Sasikumar from Nambiyar Nagar - were targeted during the attack. Six fishermen, including Vignesh, Vimal, Sukumar, Thirumurugan, Murugan, and Arun, were on one boat, while Sasikumar, Udayasankar, Sivasankar, Krupa, and Kamalesh were aboard the other.

The fishermen said the gang boarded their boats around 8 pm, attacked them brutally, and escaped with valuables including a Suzuki engine, GPS devices, echo sounders, five mobile phones, and about 500 kilograms of fishing nets.

All the injured fishermen managed to return to shore and were admitted to the Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital. One fisherman, Sivasankar, who was critically injured, was later shifted to Thanjavur Government Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

The Nagapattinam Coastal Security Group Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

The latest attack has sparked fear among coastal fishing communities, who say such mid-sea assaults by groups allegedly from Sri Lanka have become frequent in recent months. Fishermen have urged both the Tamil Nadu and Union governments to step up coastal patrolling and ensure their safety while fishing in Indian waters.