Lanka to free 120 Indian fishermen

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka today began the process to release 120 Indian fishermen detained for allegedly fishing in its waters and India will also free dozens of Lankan fishermen as humanitarian gesture, an official said here.

"The process to release the detained Indian fishermen began today," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mahishini Colonne told reporters.

She said there were 120 Indian fishermen under Lankan custody and all of them "will be released in the next few days."

"This is pure humanitarian action," Colonne said.

She also said that India will also release the 36 Lankan fishermen held in that country.

She did not clarify whether the total fishermen included the 34 Indians held by Lanka on Monday night off the northern coast. They had been ordered to be remanded until the first week of November by two magistrates.

The problem of poaching by each other's fishermen have been recurring despite some top level engagements between the two countries since the beginning of 2014.