22 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 22 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters, a senior Tamil Nadu Fisheries department official said on Thursday.

The fishermen-- 13 of them hailing from Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu and the rest from Karaikkal in neighbouring Puducherry union territory, were apprehended in two separate instances on Wednesday, the official said.

Further, two of their boats have also been seized, he added.

On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, seeking the Centre's intervention to secure the release of 29 fishermen and 82 fishing boats that are still under the custody of the Sri Lankan government, besides engaging with Colombo at the highest level to initiate bilateral talks between the two countries to find a permanent solution to this long pending issue.