India protests Sri Lankan Navy's shooting of 13 Indian fishermen

New Delhi: India on Tuesday summoned the acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to protest the Sri Lankan Navy's shooting of 13 fishermen from Karaikal and Tamil Nadu. 

Two of them sustained serious injuries when the navy opened fire after the fishermen tried to evade arrest, a top Puducherry government official said.

Both the fishermen were hospitalised in Jaffna, and their condition is stable, the official said. The remaining fishermen were taken into custody, the official added.

The Sri Lankan navy arrested the 13 fishermen after they allegedly crossed the International Maritime Boundary and were fishing in the territorial waters of the island nation. The mechanised vessel the fishermen had used was also allegedly seized by the navy.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Puducherry N Rangasamy wrote to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting him to take appropriate steps on priority with the Government of Sri Lanka for the release of all the arrested fishermen, a release from office of the Chief Minister said.

Rangasamy stated in his letter that six fishermen from Karaikal and seven from Tamilnadu had been taken into custody by the Sri Lankan navy.