RAMESWARAN: The Sri Lanka Navy allegedly attacked several Indian fishing trawlers and chased away hundreds of fishers from Tamil Nadu at gunpoint, when they were engaged in fishing on the high seas near the controversial Katchatheevu islet in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The affected fishermen, who returned to the Rameswaram fishing jetty, after the vicious attack told newsmen that the Sri Lankan Naval personnel, who came on fast patrol crafts encircled number of Indian fishing boats, pelted stones indiscriminately and destroyed the fishing nets cast on the sea, valued several lakhs of rupees.

They also seized several kilograms of catch from the Indian trawlers and forced them to retreat from the zone.

The fishermen complained to the Tamil Nadu fisheries officials. Fisheries officials said over 3,000 fishermen had set sail into the sea from Rameswaram on Monday morning for routine fishing activities.