A total of 82 Indian fishermen were arrested and 18 of their trawlers have been seized by the Sri Lankan Navy, in another spate of arrests.
The latest clash comes just days after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa released 33 Indian fishermen from Sri Lanka custody, as a gesture of goodwill between the two countries. Previous releases have also been followed by further arrests, just days after.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, head of the third biggest party in India, has called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take "strong and robust" stance against the arrests.
Following the arrests, The Hindu quoted Sri Lanka's Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne as telling them that “We will confiscate the trawlers and other fishing gear, but we will release the fishermen”.