(NewsRadio); A group of six fishermen from Nagapattinam, India have claimed they were attacked mid-sea off southeast of Point Calimere, Kodiyakarai, by around 12 unidentified assailants who arrived in four boats from Sri Lanka.
The New Indian Express quoting the fishermen said the assailants robbed their equipment, including a GPS gadget, transceiver and battery and around 150 kilos of catch from their motorised boat before fleeing the spot.
The owner of the boat, a 45-year-old man reportedly had three of his fingers severed in the attack.
One of the fishermen who sustained injuries, said they were hemmed in by the assailants who arrived in four boats.
Past midnight on Thursday, the fishermen had landed at Pushpavanam village in Vedaranyam and informed the locals about the attack.
The injured were rushed to the Nagapattinam General Hospital for treatment, while the owner of the boat had been referred to a private hospital in Coimbatore for advanced treatment and replantation of the severed fingers.
Following the alleged incident in mid-sea, members of fisherfolk community of Nambiyar Nagar had stopped other boats from venturing into sea.
The fishermen have called the Tamil Nadu and Indian governments to intervene and prevent such incidents of assault and robbery.
They have also demanded relief for the injured fishermen whose livelihood has now been affected.
With inputs from the New Indian Express
