MICHAEL HOLMES, WORLD NEWS: Government forces on Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula say they are fighting off a determined attack by Tamil Tiger rebels. A statement issued by the rebels called the latest fighting "the decisive battle for Jaffna." Events in Sri Lanka are being monitored by India, which is separated by a narrow strait from the island nation. CNN's James Martone reports from New Delhi.</s>JAMES MARTONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In its southern region of Tamil Nadu, India's navy is monitoring the small stretch of water separating it from the fighting in neighboring Sri Lanka. The Indian commandos are on the watch for incoming Tamil refugees fleeing the fighting back home. India already has more than 100,000 Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka. They came during previous fighting, and most live in India's Tamil Nadu region, where 50 million Tamil Indians share their language and culture. Authorities say they would not turn more refugees away but that they want to be sure no Tamil Tiger militants are among them. Anyone in these waters only 18 kilometers from the Sri Lankan mainland is now being checked. Authorities say the Tamil Tigers, LTTE, have even used India's Tamil fishermen in the past to bring them basic essentials, including medicines, food and fuel.</s>COMMANDER P.K. FRANCES, NAVAL DETACHMENT, RAMESWARAM: Fishermen are rounded up because they go into Sri Lankan waters and they go close to islands which are held by the LTTE, and they are rounded up by the LTTE - about 50 boats, 100 boats. And all of them are told to just give up their diesel.</s>MARTONE: Authorities in Tamil Nadu say the tightened security is also to protect any Indians from steering too close to Sri Lanka and getting caught in the crossfire of the fighting raging there. But more important for India, it wants to ensure the stability of its territory that's so close to a war zone. James Martone, CNN, New Delhi.
India Closely Monitoring Events In Sri Lanka