SL Navy attacks fishermen in the seas off Mullaithivu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 27 July 2006, 08:35 GMT]
Dvora Fast Attack Crafts of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Thursday early morning attacked fishing vessels off Mullaithivu coast in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled territory. One fisherman, a tsunami surviver, escaped narrowly from the attack, but lost his Don Bosco gifted boat and nets. The fishermen who had gone for fishing in 10 boats at 3:30 a.m. were attacked by the SLN FACs around 6:30 a.m. in the morning. Ten boats managed to reach the shore before the Dvora gunboats approached the site, according to fishermen who escaped from the attack.

Soosaipillai Thevathas, 51, father of one, from Manalkudiyiruppu, narrowly escaped from the attack that damaged his boat.

Mullaithivu Fisheries Society representative Mariyathas said the fisherman's boat was 120 000 rupees worth and the fishermen had lost fishing nets worth 300 000 rupees.

The Fisheries Societies had lodged a complaint over telephone to Vavuniya SLMM.

SLN boats had fired towards a Tsunami temporary shelter in Alampil, 13 km south of Mullaithivu, last Thursday, Mr. Mariyathas said. Gunfire from SLN boats had hit the lavatories in the temporary shelters.

Three days ago, on 24th July, SLN boats had attacked fishermen in the seas off Pokkanai, Mr. Mariyathas added.