A dozen Vietnamese fishermen have been injured after their boat was attacked by a foreign vessel while were fishing near the Paracel Islands – a region with territorial claims from both China and Vietnam, reports "Reuters", quoted by News.bg.
The attack took place on Sunday, but no details were provided about the foreign vessel or how the fishing boat was attacked.
Three of the fishermen suffered broken legs and arms, said Nguyen Thanh Bien, the captain of the vessel QNg 957.39 TS. The fishing boat with the ten fishermen on board left the land on September 13.
Vietnamese authorities are now investigating the incident.
The Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands, known in Vietnam as Hoang Sa, are located in the South China Sea – an important and busy international sea route for which China claims almost its entire area. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China's territorial claims were not supported by international law, but Beijing continues to refuse to recognize this ruling.