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Hamas' health ministry said that 94,616 people have been wounded since the conflict began on October 7
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Fishermen mistaken for pirates shot dead
TRIVANDRUM — The Kerala Coastal Police have registered a case of murder against the crew of an Italian ship over the killing of two fishermen in the state’s waters on Wednesday.
The case was registered at the Neendakara Coastal police station at Quilon under section 102 of Indian Penal Code on Thursday on the direction of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The Italian ship is now berthed off the Cochin coast and its captain and officials have been interrogated by the Cochin police and Marine Enforcement.
The two fishermen identified as Ajesh Binki (25) and Jalastein (45) were killed when the security officials of the Indian merchant ship ‘Enrica Lexie’ fired at the fishing vessel mistaking them as pirates about 14 nautical miles off Aleppey. Italy, however, maintained that the Italian navy personnel had fired warning shots after they were allegedly attacked in the international waters.
Reports from New Delhi said India on Thursday summoned the Italian envoy and voiced concern over the killing of the two fishermen. It asked Italy to ensure the ship’s captain cooperates with Indian police. The Italian envoy said the captain will cooperate with Cochin police. The Italian embassy, however, insisted that the ship was attacked and the firing was done only in self-defence. The Italian Ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di Montefort had told the foreign ministry officials that the action was as per protocol. An embassy statement said that the Italian navy personnel on board had fired the shots as per international protocols after repeated warnings and after ascertaining from binoculars that the ‘pirates’ were armed. The master of the Italian ship was contacted later by the Indian coast guards and summoned to Cochin harbour to offer information on the incident.
The boat in which the two were shot dead had left for fishing a week ago from Neendakara. Freddy, its owner who was present when the incident took place around 4.30pm, said there were 11 people on board. Freddy, from Tamil Nadu, told reporters: “Except the two who were shot dead, all the other nine were fast asleep after lunch. I woke up hearing sounds similar to a gunshot. When I woke up I saw Jalastein in a pool of blood. “I screamed and shouted, but the firing continued”.
He said that Binki was shot at after he raised the alarm. He and his fellow crew could not reach help to the seriously wounded Binki as the firing continued. By the time the firing stopped Binki had died.
The bodies of the two fishermen have been handed over to relatives after an autopsy at the Medical College Hospital here.
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