by Jake Smith, The Daily Caller:
Chinese forces boarded and overwhelmed U.S.-allied vessels on Monday in one of the most dramatic escalations in recent times in the South China Sea, as seen in chaotic footage of the incident released on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Chinese Coast Guard on Monday confronted Philippine navy boats that were attempting to deliver supplies to an outpost in the South China Sea, according to The Associated Press. Footage recently released by the Philippine military depicts Chinese Coast Guard vessels ramming one of the boats and boarding the second boat, destroying and seizing equipment, injuring crew members, and wielding knives, spears and axes.
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RORE RECAP | During the AFP’s critical humanitarian rotation and resupply operations at BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) in Ayungin Shoal on June 17, the China Coast Guard’s use of violence and intimidation tactics damaged AFP vessels and severely injured Philippine Navy personnel.… pic.twitter.com/KR0sIxuczY
— Armed Forces of the Philippines (@TeamAFP) June 20, 2024
“We were outnumbered and their weapons were unexpected but our personnel fought with everything that they had,” General Romeo Brawner Jr, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said in a statement on Thursday. “Only pirates do this. Only pirates board, steal, and destroy ships, equipment, and belongings.”
The incident occurred at the Second Thomas Shoal — a flashpoint for conflict between the Philippines and China — in the South China Sea, per the AP. The Chinese Coast Guard approached two Filipino boats attempting to restock goods at a military outpost at the reef.
