Navy arrests Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters

Sri Lankan Navy yesterday (March 8) arrested 62 South Indian fishermen in six fishing trawlers while poaching in Lankan territorial waters, security sources report.
According to available information, the Indian fishermen have strayed into the Sri Lanka waters and were arrested for allegedly poaching in the coastal waters 9Nm West of Talawila, in Kalpitiya around 11.am, on Friday. The Navy has conducted a thorough search to ensure that the fishermen were not involved in smuggling warlike material and fuel to the internationally banned terrorist outfit (LTTE).
The fishermen were brought to the Navy base in Kalpitiya and handed over to the Kalpitiya police, sources further said.
Meanwhile security forces in Mannar front forced into LTTE territory as heavy fighting broke out with terrorists at Malikaithidal in Chettikulama, today (March 8), Mannar military sources report.
According to reports received, at least 15 terrorists were killed and 8 wounded in the fresh round of clashes erupted ahead of LTTE defences in Mannar at 9.15.a.m. Air Force MI-24 helicopter gunships provided air cover to ground troops, while continuously raiding identified LTTE bunker defences, security sources said. Ground troops confirmed that 8 LTTE bunkers were destroyed in simultaneous air and ground assaults.
Meanwhile, intercepted LTTE communication has revealed that 10 terrorists were killed and 8 seriously wounded during confrontations in Mannar defences on Saturday.
Two soldiers have laid their lives while 4 others were wounded during the advance, security sources said. The number of LTTE terrorists killed and injured due to the on going operations at Mannar is on the rise, the sources further said.
During clashes at Mannar, Vavuniya and Welioya fronts yesterday (7), 31 terrorists were killed in confrontations with SLA while a soldier was killed in action, military sources reported. According to reports received 14 soldiers and 3 terrorists' sustained injuries in yesterday's confrontations.
Meanwhile, SLA made preparations to handover bodies of two LTTE cadres killed in separate skirmishes at Vavuniya and Welioya.