By IANS
Chennai : A group of Sri Lankan fishermen Sunday hurled bombs at fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who strayed across the international maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka, injuring three of them and sinking a fishing craft, police said.
However, Tamil Nadu police sources, speaking from Rameshwaram over phone, said they had enough indications that the attack was the handiwork of the Tamil Tigers.
"So far, they have hijacked three boats and have sunk one," one official said.
Indian Coast Guard authorities, however, refrained from commenting on the issue.
One of the injured fishermen, Susainathan, who was rescued by his colleagues, said around 180 Indian fishermen were attacked in the morning between Dhanushkodi and Kachchatheevu (the latter island was ceded to Sri Lanka in the 1970s).
The two other injured – P. Kumar and Raju – were admitted to Ramanathapuram government hospital and are said to be in stable condition.
The rest of the fishermen in 30-odd mechanised boats were also allowed to return to Indian shores in the afternoon, officials added.
Ten Tamil Tiger rebels have been held since March this year for various offences. A hijacked Indian fishing boat was allegedly used by the Tigers during an expedition near the Maldives and had been sunk in April.