Indian Naval Seaward Defence Boat-T. 56, has arrived at the Rameswaram coast, to boost security in the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar, following attacks on Indian fishermen and the recent developments in Sri Lanka.
This has been reported by local south Indian newspapers dated April 3rd 2007.
The indigenously built ship has about 60 personnel on board, including a Commandant and a Deputy Commandant. It has two high calibre guns and sophisticated radars and will help in tracking down objects several nautical miles away. It could be handy for monitoring movements at night also.
Now, three ships of the Navy and the Coast Guard are patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line, the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait and the Palk Bay.
The Aim
Commodore Phillip Van Haltren, Naval Officer in-charge, Tamil Nadu, told The Hindu on Monday that the aim of increasing the number of ships deployed was not only to intensify patrolling but also detect "miscreants" or "suspected members of a group," who unleashed violence on Indian fishermen recently.
"We are very concerned about the attack on fishermen. `Unidentified persons' beat up some fishermen on March 25 and a few fishermen of Kanyakumari were killed in another incident. We are on the job to track down the perpetuators of the crime," said Commodore Haltren.
He said so far no progress had been made in establishing the identity of those who attacked fishermen and the boat used. Aircraft of Navy and Coast Guard conducted intensive search over the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait for the last few days. Naval aircraft would intensify aerial patrol.
Commander S. Mukherji, Area Commander, South, said the entire stretch of IMBL had been brought under vigil. Necessary logistics support to the ships had been provided to ensure round-the-clock patrolling. Naval personnel had been instructed to conduct thorough check of suspected vessels.