Four fishermen from Nagapattinam district were reportedly attacked by pirates while fishing in the mid-sea off the Kodiakkarai southeast coast. The incident left one fisherman injured, according to a fisheries department official, quoted by PTI.
The injured fisherman, identified as Anbazhagan from Arukattuthurai village, sustained head injuries during the attack and has been admitted to the Vedaranyam government hospital for treatment. The other four fishermen who were with him have returned home after receiving outpatient care.
The attack occurred late Wednesday when the fishermen were approximately 20 nautical miles southeast of the Kodiakkarai coast. A group of five unidentified men, allegedly Sri Lankan pirates, approached the Tamil Nadu fishermen in a fiberglass boat. The assailants boarded the fishermen's boat and assaulted them with wooden logs, leaving Anbazhagan with bleeding injuries, according to the report.
The pirates reportedly robbed the fishermen of their GPS equipment, mobile phones, fishing nets, and their catch before fleeing the scene in their boat.
The Coastal Security Group (CSG) police have launched an investigation based on the fishermen's statement to identify and apprehend the attackers. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of fishermen in the region.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with a delegation of Tamil fishermen along with Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai to discuss the ongoing crisis in the high seas bordering Sri Lanka. Minister Jaishankar assured that the government and the High Commission are actively addressing the issue and highlighted the recent release of 20 fishermen as part of their efforts.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin also wrote to Union External Affairs Minister multiple times to bring a solution to the issues faced by the fishermen of the state.
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