India steps up maritime vigil

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have mounted a strong vigil along India’s maritime borders with Sri Lanka following Monday’s LTTE attack on the airbase in Anuradhapura.

Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships were patrolling the maritime border to check any possible infiltration into Tamil Nadu. The Indian authorities have foiled several previous attempts by the LTTE to infiltrate the region, arresting several persons and seizing military equipment.

India has also strengthened its air defences in the wake of LTTE acquiring an air capability.

The Indian Navy has also decided to establish a Naval Observation Post at Seeniappa Dharga near Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu to check smuggling activity in the Gulf of Mannar area bordering Sri Lanka.

The decision assumes significance following intelligence inputs that smugglers operating from the Palk Bay and the Palk Straits may be trying to shift their activities to the Gulf of Mannar.

Official sources told PTI that fishermen in Rameswaram had been cautioned not to cross Indian waters. A total of 693 fishing boats had put out to sea from here in the wee hours of yesterday.

The Sri Lankan Navy has denied charges that it was harassing Indian fishermen.

The Sri Lanka Navy has also stepped up reconnaissance and patrols along the maritime border.

“We are on the alert and monitoring the situation on the sea. The situation is very much under control,” Navy Spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake said. Earlier this month, the Navy sank a ship carrying arms for the Tigers in the deep sea. The ship, carrying 3,000 tons of weapons and ammunition, was the seventh Tiger vessel sunk this year.

The Navy also attacked and destroyed a number of smaller vessels carrying weapons for the LTTE.