Fishermen killing risks India-Italy standoff

A diplomatic tussle loomed large Thursday as India and Italiy disagreed on the accounts of armed guards aboard an Italian crude oil tanker who shot dead two Indian fishermen they apparently suspected of being pirates at sea off the coast of Kerala.

The incident on Wednesday flared tensions in the region even as India's External Affairs Ministry summoned Italian ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di Montefor to lodge a strong protest over the incident, who demanded the release of the crew on board the ship.

The Italian envoy was asked to ensure the crew of the ship cooperate with Indian authorities, a Foreign Ministry official said, adding that a case of murder has been registered against the crew at Neendakara Coastal police station, where surviving fishermen sought help.

The tanker M V Enrica Lexie, en route to Egypt from Singapore, has been escorted to the port of Kochi by the Indian Coast Guard, which is questioning the crew who may have violated the established anti-piracy norms when it fired at the boat carrying 11 fishermen, a Navy official said.

However, the Itaian Navy said the fishing boat had approached the Napoli-registered vessel Enrica Lexie in an aggressive manner and the Naval security team on board the ship "intervened to avert an attempted attack" by "armed personnel" from the other vessel.

"The Navy team on the mercantile ship used standard procedures. The fishing vessel distanced itself after the third series of warning shots that were made without evident damage to the vessel," a press release from Italy's navy said.

The Italian Ambassador, speaking to reporters in New Delhi after a meeting at India's Foreign Ministry on Thursday said that the crew of the ship acted in self-defence after the fishing vessel failed to stop and demanded the crew be released.

"The Italian Navy followed the international protocol as it was approached by a vessel which did not stop when flash lights were sent. They fired warning shots, not targeting the vessel," Montefort said, adding that it was "very sad incident".

Media reports said that Italy contends that the incident that killed two fishermen, one from Tamil Nadu and the other from Kerala, identified as Jelestin (45) and Pinku (22), happened outside India´s territorial waters and so " there is no case for action" against the ship and its crew.

The Indian Coast Guard, however, has said that it is within its rights to take action as the incident occurred within the country´s 'Special Economic Zone' which extends to a little beyond a thousand kilometers.

India's federal government too affirmed that the matter was not being taken lightly with the Union Home Ministry saying that people responsible for the shooting would be indicted while Defence Minister A K Antony described the incident as "serious and unfortunate".

According to the European naval force patrolling the Indian Ocean, as piracy attacks in the region have multiplied over the years, about 26 percent of the ships that travel through the Indian Ocean report having armed guards on board, compared with 10 percent a year ago.

Maritime piracy costs the global economy an estimated $7 billion to $12 billion annually and attacks in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and off the Somali coast increased five fold in the past five years to a record 236, according to international maritime organisations.