In a disclosure that could drastically change the pro-LTTE climate in Tamil Nadu, the state police today said the LTTE was behind the March 29 incident in which nine Kanyakumari fishermen were attacked in mid-sea. Five of the fishermen were killed in the attack.

In a statement, Tamil Nadu DGP D Mukherjee said a boat called Maria, which had drifted into Indian waters after developing a technical snag on April 11, was indeed involved in the attack on the fishermen. But, while the six Lankan Tamils who were on board were members of the LTTE’s Sea Tigers, they were not involved in the attack.

The DGP said: “It is learnt that the boat seized by the Indian Coast Guard is the one involved in the firing incident on March 29. But, those involved were from another group belonging to the Sea Tigers Wing of the LTTE which was ferrying cargo on March 29 from the LTTE ship to their camp in Sri Lanka.” The sea tigers had opened fire “as they suspected that the Indian fishermen were spying on their movement.”

Prior to the incident, 12 fishermen from India had been abducted along with their boat by a group of Sea Tigers. “The abducted fishermen are in safe custody of the Tigers in one of their camps.” These fishermen, including 10 from Kanyakumari, one from Tuticorin and one from Kerala, had sailed off on March 4 from Sakthikulangara in Kollam district of Kerala in a boat called Sri Krishna.

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