India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday began their bilateral naval exercise SLINEX off Trincomalee focusing on anti-piracy exercises and cross-deck helicopter operations.
The exercise commenced on the same day when Sri Lankan authorities announced at least 34 Indian fishermen were arrested and their boats seized by the Lankan Navy on Monday night.
Regular arrest of Indian fishermen by the island nation is one of the contentious bilateral issues, which remained unsolved after many rounds of discussions between the two nations.