The Hindu : Front Page : “Indian fishing boat was carrying explosives”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 19, 2007
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“Indian fishing boat was carrying explosives”

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Defence Ministry claimed on Monday that the Indian fishing boat, which sunk near Katchatheevu on Sunday following a grenade attack by suspected Sri Lankan fishermen, was carrying explosives belonging to the Liberation Tigers o f Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

A report posted on the Ministry website, which quoted an unnamed “authoritative source,” said: “Controversy surrounds the circumstances in which conflicting reports are received from Tamil Nadu about the explosion.” “Speculation is that the vessel had been carrying a consignment of explosives belonging to the LTTE. Although reports indicated the incident had taken place in the Indian territorial waters, the possibility of the ill-fated vessel being in Sri Lankan waters could not be ruled out,” it said.

Quoting unnamed Sri Lankan sources, the report said they expressed serious concern that the “Sea Tigers and their collaborators based in Tamil Nadu were continuing clandestine operations” despite the stepped-up presence of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard.

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