The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday said it has arrested eight Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in the island nation's territorial waters and seized two fishing trawlers.
The arrests took place on Saturday night "during a special operation conducted in the sea area north of Mannar", it said in a press statement.
With this arrest, so far this year 18 Indian fishermen have been arrested and three trawlers confiscated, the statement said.
The Navy said "in the dark hours of 11th January", the North Central Naval Command spotted a cluster of Indian fishing boats "engaging in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters. In response, the Northern Naval Command deployed its Fast Attack Craft and North Central Naval Command its Inshore Patrol Craft to drive away those Indian fishing boats poaching in the sea area north of Mannar".
