Navy Clarifies Incident Involving Indian Boat

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lanka Navy has clarified that two Indian fishermen were injured when a naval officer's firearm discharged unintentionally during the seizure of an Indian fishing vessel in Sri Lankan waters. 

Navy Commander Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda stated that preliminary investigations have revealed these findings.

The Northern Naval Command observed a cluster of Indian fishing boats poaching in the Sri Lankan waters off Valvettithurai, Jaffna in the dark hours of 27 Jan 2025. 

Subsequently, the Northern Naval Command mounted a special operation to send away those fishing boats from the island waters, deploying naval craft.

Naval vessels were dispatched to the area, where they signaled the Indian fishing vessels to leave Sri Lankan waters using light signals. 

According to the Navy, the Indian fishing vessels complied and turned back, except for one vessel that continued to operate within Sri Lankan waters. Navy personnel pursued this vessel, and two officers boarded it.

"The vessel in question did not comply with the signal to stop, raising suspicion. Therefore, we ordered our officers to approach and halt the vessel. Two naval personnel, including an officer, boarded the vessel. Upon boarding, an Indian individual on the vessel near the pilot house acted aggressively, attempting to assault and disarm our officers. This led to the accidental discharge of a firearm, resulting in minor injuries to two Indian individuals. The injured were promptly provided medical treatment. Following the incident, our boarding team inspected the vessel and found fish harvested illegally within our maritime boundaries. This incident occurred off the coast of Jaffna, near the Valvettithurai area," explained Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, Navy Commander.

Sri Lanka's Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi was called into the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday (28) to lodge a strong protest with Sri Lanka following an incident involving the Sri Lankan Navy firing on 13 Indian fishermen near Delft Island in the early hours of January 28, 2025.

Two of the fishermen sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, while three others suffered minor injuries and have been treated.

Indian Consulate officials in Jaffna have visited the injured fishermen to check on their well-being and are providing all possible assistance to the fishermen and their families, said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

The Sri Lankan Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs, where a strong protest was lodged over the incident.

The Indian High Commission in Colombo has also raised the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sri Lankan government.

The Government of India emphasized the need to treat issues related to fishermen in a humane and humanitarian manner, keeping in mind their livelihood concerns.

The use of force is not acceptable under any circumstances whatsoever. Existing understandings between the two Governments in this regard must be strictly observed, said the Indian Ministry of Externalk Affairs.

A statement from the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka highlighted the need for a humane approach to issues concerning fishermen's livelihoods and reiterated that the use of force is unacceptable under any circumstances. The statement also stressed the importance of closely monitoring the understanding between the two governments regarding such matters.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Navy confirmed that the shooting incident was accidental.

"The shooting incident was due to an accidental discharge of the weapon. Preliminary investigations confirm that it was an unintentional act," explained the navy commander. 

"We are committed to inspecting any unauthorized vessel entering Sri Lankan waters, whether it is Sri Lankan or Indian. As a lawful military force, we adhere to our fundamental regulations and conduct inspections legally. If the vessels comply with the inspection, there will be no conflicts," detailed Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyyakontha (Retd), Defense Secretary.

The Minister of Fisheries also provided clarification on the matter adding that this issue has arisen due to the misconduct of fishermen from Tamil Nadu. 

"We must address this clearly. If we can resolve this through discussions, we are fully supportive. However, it is not acceptable for them to enter our waters and exploit our resources," he added.