Cuba and the United States are holding talks after the shootout between Cuban border guards and the crew of a US-registered motorboat in Cuban territorial waters, a senior Cuban official said, quoted by DPA, BTA reported.
Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Coscio said that US authorities had expressed a desire to cooperate in clarifying the incident. He said that discussions had been held with the US State Department and the US Coast Guard.
The Cuban Ministry of the Interior reported that border guards spotted the boat early Wednesday near the island of Cayo Falcones in Cuban territorial waters. When a border patrol approached the vessel to identify it, the boat's crew opened fire, the ministry added.
Four of the ten people aboard the speedboat were killed and the others were injured. The commander of the border police boat was also injured.
Cuban authorities said those involved were Cuban citizens living in the United States who had terrorist intentions and tried to enter Cuba illegally.
Fernández de Cosio said that on board the motorboat, authorities found assault rifles, pistols, Molotov cocktails, night vision devices, body armor, camouflage clothing, ammunition and communications equipment, as well as insignia of "counter-revolutionary terrorist organizations."
Relations between the United States and Cuba have been strained since the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro and have deteriorated in recent weeks. Under Donald Trump, the US has increased pressure on the Cuban government.
Despite the tensions, the two countries maintain normal communication on issues of migration and the coast guard.