Ahmad 
A violent confrontation took place between the Chinese Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy near a strategic atoll in the South China Sea.
The Philippine Army reported that the incident occurred on Monday during a supply mission for Philippine forces stationed on Second Thomas Atoll.
During the confrontation, the Philippine military claimed that Chinese sailors on small boats used knives and axes in the attack, resulting in a Filipino sailor losing a finger.
Philippine authorities added that the Chinese Coast Guard confiscated and destroyed Filipino equipment, including firearms.
For its part, the Chinese authorities denied these allegations, noting that the Chinese Coast Guard took “professional and moderate” measures during the confrontation, and that they did not take any direct action against the Philippine forces.
This escalation comes after both the Philippines and China released videos with contradictory descriptions of the events, further complicating the international community’s understanding of the events and assessment of the situation.
Increase in gas production in Russia in the first quarter of 2024