Ahmedabad: The Pakistan Marine Security Agency (PMSA) has captured at least three Indian boats with 18 fishermen on board in the Arabian Sea off the Jakhau coast in Kutch district of Gujarat.

The boats were captured on Sunday night from near the International Maritime Boundary Line, National Fish Workers Forum Secretary Manish Lodhari told IANS on Monday.

He said, “There might be in all five boats, but we are still waiting for the confirmation from Pakistan.”

Since October last year, the PMSA has captured around 63 Indian fishing boats with more than 572 fishermen off the Gujarat coast, Lodhari said.

Investigations have also been launched into the recovery of five abandoned fishing boats near the Sir Creek on Kutch coast during the last three months, including one by a Border Security Force patrol on Friday.

The boat found on Friday is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide. Some ration, water jugs, fishing nets, crabs, diesel and mattresses were found on board.

The police and security officials have cordoned off the area.

The attack came as law-enforcement agencies were implementing National Action Plan (NAP) and taking counter-terrorism measures across the country.

A total of 2,159 terrorists have been killed and 1,724 arrested since the NAP was launched after the TTP-claimed attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16, 2014.