Four Philippine navy personnel injured as China blocks supply boats (update)

File photo of a Chinese Coast Guard ship sailing past a Philippine fishing boat near the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal. - AFP

MANILA: Four Philippine navy personnel were injured on Tuesday (March 5) when Chinese ships targeted their boat with water cannons to block them from bringing supplies to soldiers stationed in a shoal in the disputed South China Sea, Filipino officials said.

The navy personnel were aboard one of two supply boats going to Second Thomas Shoal, locally called Ayungin Shoal, which lies 105 nautical miles (195km) west of the Philippines' province of Palawan and is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.