Philippines Sewot Its Patrol Veterinary Fired Sinar Laser Ship From China's Military Ship

Photo Facebook Philippine Coast Guard

JAKARTA - The disputed South China Sea is heating up again. Philippine patrol boats felt they were shot by a'military-class laser beam' from a Chinese security ship that had blinded the crew.

The incident occurred on February 6 at a location nearly 20 km from the Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, where the Philippine marine was placed, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The Chinese ship emitted two "military-level" green laser light on the Philippine ship. The official said the beam caused temporary blindness for its crew at the bridge.

The Chinese ship also carried out dangerous maneuvers within a distance of about 140m from the Philippine ship.

"The deliberate blocking of Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel... is a blatant neglect, and a clear violation of the Philippines' sovereign rights in the western Philippine Sea," the Philippine Coast Guard said.

Philippine military spokesman Medel Aguilar asked Beijing to detain its troops so as not to take provocative actions that would endanger people's lives.

But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the Philippine ship had "studded" into China's sovereign waters without permission.

He said Chinese Coast Guard personnel had acted "professionally and under control".

There have been a series of maritime incidents between the Philippines and China, which claim sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea and ignore the international court's decision that its claim has no legal basis.

Days before this latest incident, the United States and the Philippines agreed to continue joint patrols at sea, and struck a deal to give US troops access to another four military bases in the Southeast Asian country.

Philippine coast guard patrol boats support rotation for marine living on abandoned naval vessels to confirm Manila's territorial claims.