New Delhi, Feb. 16: India today summoned the Italian envoy to New Delhi to lodge its protest over an incident yesterday evening off the Kerala coast in which armed guards of a vessel bearing an Italian flag allegedly fired at Indian fishermen mistaking them for pirates. Two fishermen were killed in the incident.

Defence minister A.K. Antony termed the incident “serious and unfortunate”. “The Coast Guard and the Kerala Police are questioning them and looking into it. Law will take its own course,” he said.

A source said the Italian vessel did not follow the “best practices” that have been sent out in an advisory by the Maritime Organisation.

The best practices entail that “if a pirate attack is imminent” on a vessel it should follow its pre-prepared contingency plan, activate the “ship security alert system” and make a “Mayday call”, among other steps. Sources said the Italian vessel had failed to follow any of these.

According to officials, armed guards on the Italian vessel Enrica Lexie, a 48,000 tonne crude tanker, on its way to Fujairah in UAE from Singapore, fired at a boat carrying a crew of 11 fishermen.

The Italian vessel came close to the shipping boat and opened fire at the two fishermen who were awake. The two fishermen, Ajesh Binki, 25, and Jalastein, 45, were killed.

The ministry of external affairs summoned Italian ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di Monteforte and registered a strong protest over the incident.

Officials said the Italian vessel didn’t report the shooting incident to maritime authorities for over two hours and continued to sail for 70km.

The directorate general of shipping said the Italian ship was carrying six armed guards apart from 19 Indian crewmembers and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The Coast Guard intercepted the vessel and escorted her to Kochi for investigation.

Earlier, the Italian Embassy claimed that the Italian navy personnel on board Enrica Lexie fired warning shots after they were allegedly attacked in international waters by the men on the Indian fishing vessel.

The Italian envoy, who met the ministry of external affairs secretary (west) Madhusudan Ganapathi, said the crew would co-operate with the Indian police.

The envoy claimed the Italian vessel had followed international protocol and had come in voluntarily into the Kochi dock.

Additional director general (south zone) Kerala Police P. Chandrashekhar, however, said: “The fishermen did not fire at the ship. The Indian boat was 100 metres from the ship. The boat wanted the ship to pass,” said Chadrashekhar. The bodies of the fishermen have been recovered.