Sri Lanka frees 136 Indian fishermen

Sri Lankan authorities, under diplomatic pressure from neighbouring India, released 136 Indian fishermen yesterday without pressing poaching charges, officials said.
"The fishermen were given over to the Indian coastguard at the maritime border," navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said of the detainees, who were arrested in two batches earlier this week.
The sudden move by Sri Lanka to free the 136 came after New Delhi conveyed its "deep concern" over their arrests, for allegedly straying into the island's waters.
The detentions on Tuesday and Wednesday had raised tensions between the two countries.
India last month accused the Sri Lankan navy of gunning down two Indian fishermen.