COLOMBO, May 12: The Sri Lankan government is seeking clarification from India on Indian Defence Minister AK Antony's statement in parliament blaming the Sri Lankan Navy for the death of 77 Indian fishermen.

“We are perturbed over the statement which comes amidst clear evidence that the Tamil Tigers are behind some of the recent incidents”, a senior government official said referring to Mr Anthony’s claim last Wednesday that 77 Indian fishermen had been killed between 1991 and mid April 2007 by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The controversial statement by the Indian Defence Minister comes following an assurance by the Mahinda Rajapakse government to New Delhi that the Sri Lankan Naval forces had been given specific instructions not to target Indian fishermen. The government has also asserted that its Naval forces would never intrude into Indian maritime waters.

Foreign Ministry sources in Colombo meanwhile maintained that India had been cautioned that ‘certain groups’ were trying to sour relations between New Delhi and Colombo by blaming the killings on the Sri Lankan military forces. The Colombo based daily newspaper, The Island on Friday condemned the defence minister’s statement accusing the minister of brazenly ignoring the killing and abduction of Indian fishermen by the LTTE in March this year.