Chennai, Feb. 27: A fisherman from Tamil Nadu was killed yesterday when the Sri Lankan Navy opened fire at vessels alleged to be carrying arms smuggled for the Tamil Tigers.

Several fishermen and their boats have been at the receiving end of the gunfire over the past few days. While many fishermen have been grievously injured, over a dozen boats have been destroyed or severely damaged off the Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Ramanathapuram coasts in Tamil Nadu.

The fisherman killed was one Kaliyaperumal of Nagapattinam. Five others were seriously injured in the incident.

With the attacks wrecking fishermen’s means of livelihood, Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi today sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying the incidents of firing in the past 10 days were “a matter of grave concern”.

Urging Singh to intervene, Karunanidhi said the Centre should impress upon Lanka to “instruct its navy to desist from opening fire or causing harm to innocent fishermen of Tamil Nadu, who solely depend on this profession for their living”.

Karunanidhi’s letter has come after rival Jayalalithaa recently accused police and the Centre of “inaction” following the seizure of arms and explosives, including an LTTE boat packed with RDX.

Last night, she sought the Centre’s intervention to safeguard the country’s security as “extremist organisations have intensified their activities in Tamil Nadu under the present DMK regime”.