Philippines says China fired water cannon on supply vessel

By Anadolu staff

The Philippines on Saturday accused the China Coast Guard of firing water cannon at a supply boat in the disputed South China Sea, causing heavy damage.

The military said the Unaizah May 4 was delivering supplies to Philippine forces manning a territorial outpost in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

"Unaizah May 4 was severely damaged due to the direct blasting of water cannons by CCG vessels and could not continue its course. Meanwhile, the CMM vessel assisted by RHIBs deployed and installed floating barriers to prevent further entry of any vessels in the shoal," Armed Forces of the Philippines said on X.

Beijing, however, rejected the claim. The China Coast Guard expelled the Philippines vessels in a professional manner and in accordance with law, spokesman Gan Yu said in a statement.

The Unaizah May 4 was also damaged in a similar collision in the disputed waters earlier this month. Beijing and Manila have conflicting claims over the Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal, Bai Co May, and Ren'aiJiao, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid