Pakistani marines shoot at 2 boats off Gujarat coast, fisherman injured

Rajkot: An Indian fisherman was injured after personnel of the Pakistan Marines opened fire on two boats near international maritime boundary line (IMBL) in Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast, police said.

There were reportedly eight crew members on the boat at the time of the incident. One crew member identified as Rambauri Raamdhani, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, has been injured in the firing.

“The two fishing boats from Okha in Devbhumi Dwarka district might have crossed the IMBL on Sunday evening, after which Pakistan Marines personnel fired at them, injuring one fisherman,” Devbhumi Dwarka Superintendent of Police of Rohan Anand said.

“The two boats might have crossed the IMBL, and they had an interface with Pakistan Marines, which fired upon them. From whatever information we have received, a fisherman got injured in the firing,” Anand said.

“The fishermen made a distress call to the Indian Coast Guard on their radio sets. The ICG contacted their Pakistani counterparts through their normal channel of communication. Pakistan Marines confirmed they had apprehended the two boats. Following this, the ICG sent its ship ‘Arinjay’ to escort the two boats back,” he said.

The Gujarat government on Saturday gave permission to the fishing industry to operate amid the national coronavirus lockdown.