Advertisement

Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » News » PTI
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
Advertisement
  Discuss this Article   |      Email this Article   |      Print this Article

LTTE hiring Indian fishing boats to attack SL navy
Get news updates:What's this?
Advertisement
February 06, 2008 13:56 IST

Intelligence officials on Wednesday questioned local fishermen to verify reports that their boats had been used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to attack a Sri Lankan Navy vessel.

Ten boat owners have been detained in Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu for questioning, the officials said.

A Coast Guard official said fishermen lending their boats to the LTTE could not be ruled out as they cannot undertake fishing in Sri Lankan waters without the help of the Tigers.

"The LTTE paid rent for their boats and also allowed them to fish in the area where plenty of fish was available. The LTTE is using a carrot and stick policy so that the fishermen had no option except to help them," the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The attack reportedly took place yesterday near Iranativu in the Sri Lankan waters.

Meanwhile, fishermen in Rameswaram today stayed away from fishing to protest the detention of some of their colleagues for questioning.

Sri Lankan Navy had on Tuesday said in Colombo that its boat was fired upon and sunk by a boat that came along with a cluster of Indian fishing vessels in the Gulf of Mannar.


© Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
 Email this Article      Print this Article

© 2008 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback