New Delhi, Jan 28: India on Tuesday summoned the Sri Lankan envoy in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest over an incident of firing by the Sri Lankan Navy during the apprehension of 13 Indian fishermen in the proximity of Delft Island, earlier in the day.

Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Priyanga Wickramasinghe, was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), while the Indian High Commission in Colombo also raised the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sri Lankan government.

“Out of the 13 fishermen who were on board the fishing vessel, two have sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Three other fishermen received minor injuries and have been treated for the same. Indian Consulate Officials in Jaffna have visited the injured fishermen at the hospital to seek their welfare and are extending all possible assistance to the fishermen and their families,” read an MEA statement.

The detained fishermen, hailing from Rameswaram and Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu, were taken to Jaffna, where they are expected to face judicial proceedings. Their mechanised fishing boat was also seized.

The total number of Tamil Nadu fishermen detained by Sri Lankan authorities in the last three days now stands at 47, with three high-value mechanised boats also confiscated.

The recurring arrests underscore the challenges faced by Tamil Nadu’s fishing community, particularly in the Palk Bay region, where fishermen frequently face detentions while pursuing their livelihoods.

“Government of India has always emphasised the need to treat issues pertaining to fishermen in a humane and humanitarian manner, keeping in mind livelihood concerns. The use of force is not acceptable under any circumstances whatsoever. Existing understandings between the two Governments in this regard must be strictly observed,” the MEA statement added.

India had raised the issue during Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake’s visit to India, last month. However, despite these discussions, the arrests continue, prompting frustration and fear among fishermen.

Since June 2024, the Sri Lankan Navy has detained 425 Tamil Nadu fishermen and also seized 58 fishing boats.

The frequent arrests have sparked protests and demands for a long-term resolution to protect the livelihood of fishing communities. Former Union Minister and PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss has called on the government to take strong measures to safeguard the interests of the fishermen and prevent further detentions.

The situation emphasises the need for a coordinated diplomatic effort between India and Sri Lanka to resolve maritime boundary disputes and ensure that fishermen can continue their traditional livelihood without fear or uncertainty.

Ramallah, Jan 28: An Israeli drone strike killed two Palestinian men and wounded three others after targeting a vehicle in the Nour Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities and witnesses said.

The Ramallah-based Health Ministry said in a statement that two fatalities and three injuries were brought to Tulkarm Governmental Hospital following the strike. Witnesses and local sources told Media the attack ignited a fire at the scene, prompting ambulances and civil defence crews to respond.

The Palestinian Authority’s Tulkarm governor, Abdullah Kamil, identified the dead as Ihab Abu Atwi and Ramez Al-Damiri.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) confirmed in a statement that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) killed two in Tulkarm.

“During a joint IDF and ISA activity, an IAF aircraft struck and eliminated Ihab Abu Atiwi, a who served as the head of Hamas in Tulkarm, and an additional,” the statement read.

It added that Abu Atiwi was involved in numerous shooting attacks, including an attack on an Israeli vehicle at the Ramin junction in the West Bank in July last year, in which three Israelis were injured.

The strike occurred amid an ongoing seven-day Israeli military offensive in Jenin, another northern West Bank city, where Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that airstrikes and home demolitions have displaced thousands of families.

Violence in the West Bank has surged since October 2023, with Palestinian health officials reporting over 800 Palestinians killed

Agartala, Jan 27: Tension prevailed along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura’s Unakoti district on Monday after a clash between the farmers of two villages on the border of the countries, officials said.

The BSF and police officials separately said the villagers of India and Bangladesh clashed among themselves over the issue of farming in cropland in the border village of Hirachhara in Kailashahar Sub-division on Sunday evening.

According to the officials, two Indian farmers and a Bangladeshi cultivator were injured in the clash before the BSF troops intervened in the conflict. Local people said that Indian farmers — Karim Ali (28) and Zamir Ali (34), both brothers, were severely assaulted with sharp weapons and iron rods by a group of 10-12 Bangladesh nationals. The attack left them critically injured, with Karim sustaining deep wounds on his left hand and back while Zamir suffered head injuries.

Both are currently undergoing medical treatment at the Unakoti District Hospital, where doctors have indicated that Karim’s left-hand finger may need an amputation.

The incident occurred when the two brothers, who cultivate betel leaves and paddy on their land near the zero line of the border, had gone for farming activities on Sunday and found significant damage to their crops. They informed the matter to the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel posted in the area.

However, while returning home in the evening, they were threatened not to go to that area again for cultivation and then attacked by Bangladeshi nationals from the Murui Chhara area of Moulvibazar district (Bangladesh).

The attack occurred within Indian territory raising concerns about the safety of the Indian border villagers. Additional troops of the BSF have been deployed in the areas.

Sunday’s incident occurred within three weeks after Bangladeshi nationals allegedly attacked BSF personnel at the Maguruli border and attempted to snatch their firearms on January 7.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on January 18 and handed over a letter to him on the construction of a big embankment along the border by Bangladesh.

“The Chief Minister in his letter to the Home Minister, highlighted the potential effect of the Bangladeshi embankment in Unakoti district and possible floods on the Indian side. The Chief Minister has urged the Home Minister to take up the matter with the Bangladesh government to take appropriate steps by the neighbouring country,” an official said.

Seeking the Union government’s intervention, the opposition Congress on Saturday organised a demonstration along the India-Bangladesh border areas in northern Tripura’s Unakoti district to protest against the construction of the embankment by the neighbouring country along the boundary. According to senior Congress leader and former Minister Birajit Sinha, who has been spearheading a stir against the controversial embankment, the Bangladesh government now unilaterally constructing an embankment on its land may endanger the district town of Kailashahar and border villages during monsoon floods.