A shocking incident happened on Friday, where over 30 fishermen from Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district were reportedly assaulted by a group of Sri Lankan pirates while fishing along the Coromandel coast. The violent attack left 17 fishermen wounded, with many requiring treatment at the District Government Hospital. The reports stated that the fishermen were fishing southeast of Kodiyakkarai in what they believed to be Indian territorial waters, aboard a fibre boat, when they were confronted by six men in a speedboat. The attackers reportedly used sharp weapons, causing severe injuries to the fishermen. 

The pirates allegedly stole GPS equipment and fishing nets worth around Rs 10 lakh and then went on to attack several other boats in the area. Gajendran, one of the injured fishermen from Serudhur, voiced his anger over the ongoing attacks. “Sri Lankan pirates attacked us, and several fishermen are now hospitalised. We urge both the state and central governments to intervene. We are currently on strike, and if such attacks continue, we will launch an indefinite protest,” he stated.

This isn't the first attack of its kind. A similar incident took place in December last year when three fishermen from Tamil Nadu were slashed, after being attacked and later robbed by pirates from Sri Lanka. 

The ongoing threat of cross-border piracy has left coastal fishing communities in Tamil Nadu worried about their safety when going to sea to earn a living. Fishermen’s unions are calling for immediate action and stronger patrolling to safeguard Indian fishermen from such attacks. At this point, local authorities have not made an official statement, and there are increasing demands for the central government to step in.