The Tamil Nadu government says Sri Lanka has agreed to release 86 fishermen from the state, all arrested by the country's navy over the past two months.
"The Union government was informed that Sri Lanka would release 86 fishermen (hailing from Tamil Nadu) on October 28," an official release said.
The release of fishermen was the outcome of Jayalalithaa's "continuous efforts", the press release further said.
The fishermen, hailing from the Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Tuticorin and Ramanathapuram districts, were arrested and kept in jails in Sri Lanka between September 22 and October 14 this year.
"They were apprehended while fishing in their traditional fishing areas of Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar," the release said.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa repeatedly wrote to Prime Minister Modi, urging him to take up the issue with Sri Lanka.
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