The China Coast Guard yesterday morning blocked a Philippine supply vessel and damaged it with water cannons near a reef off the Southeast Asian country, the Philippines said.
The Philippine military released video of what it said was a nearly hour-long attack off the Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙) in the contested South China Sea, where Chinese ships have unleashed water cannons and collided with Philippine vessels in similar standoffs in the past few months.
The China Coast Guard and other vessels “once again harassed, blocked, deployed water cannons, and executed dangerous maneuvers” against a routine rotation and resupply mission to the shoal yesterday morning, the Philippine National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said.
Photo: AFP / handout / Armed Forces of the Philippines
“Their reckless and dangerous actions culminated with the water cannoning of UM4 [Unaizah May 4] causing severe damage to the vessel and injuries to Filipinos onboard,” it said in a statement.
The task force did not say how many people on the boat were injured nor identify them or describe their injuries.
A video clip showed a white ship marked “China Coast Guard” crossing the bow of the Unaizah May 4, which was damaged in a China Coast Guard water cannon attack in the same area on March 5 that left four crew members injured.
The military said the videos were taken while the Unaizah May 4 was on its way to Ayungin Shoal — the Filipino name for the outcrop garrisoned by a small unit of Philippine troops that is also claimed by Beijing.
Despite the attack, the damaged vessel and a coast guard escort ship that came to its aid later delivered its cargo as well as six navy personnel to the Philippine outpost, the military said.
The military also released another video clip which it said was taken after the water cannon attack and showed a Chinese vessel deploying “floating barriers to prevent further entry of any vessels in the shoal.”
The Philippine soldiers stationed on the shoal live on a derelict navy ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, and require frequent resupplies for food, water and other necessities as well as transport for personnel rotations.
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