A Philippine sailor suffered severe injuries when Chinese forces blocked an Armed Forces of the Philippines resupply mission in the South China Sea, Pentagon officials confirmed to USNI News. The AFP mission to resupply the BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) outpost at Second Thomas Shoal also resulted in damage to an unknown number of Philippine vessels.
The Philippine sailor was injured as a result of the “PRC vessels’ dangerous and deliberate use of water cannons, ramming, and blocking maneuvers,” reads a Monday statement from Office of the Secretary of Defense spokesperson U.S. Army Maj Pete Nguyen to USNI News.