23 Nagai fishermen injured in mid-sea attack by Sri Lankan pirates

NAGAPATTINAM: A total of 23 fishermen from Nagapattinam who ventured into the sea in four groups were attacked by suspected Sri Lankan pirates late on Friday. At least 16 men were involved in the attack, sources said. The pirates attacked the TN fishers with iron rods and other weapons, and decamped with motors, GPS device, other equipment and the catch. The fishers reached the coast after paddling for hours. While five of the injured fishermen are undergoing treatment at Nagapattinam GH, 12 of them are being treated at Nagapattinam Medical College Hospital. Six were treated as outpatients.

The first group of five fishermen from Akkaraipettai—Anand (37), Murali (38), Saminathan (30), Vetrivel (38), and Anabarasn (36) — was fishing 30 nautical miles off Kodiyakarai coast on a fibre boat on May 2 when it was attacked by six men who came in two Sri Lankan boats. The attackers decamped with two mobile phones, a walkie-talkie and GPS equipment. The injured fishermen who reached the Nagapattinam fishing jetty on Saturday were admitted to Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital for treatment. The Nagapattinam Marine Police have registered a case.