Chinese coast guard fires water cannons at Philippine vessels in South China Sea

Philippine Coast Guard vessel, BRP BAGACAY (MRRV-4410) is water cannoned by Chinese Coast Guards as it tried to approach the waters near Scarborough Shoal (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels on Tuesday near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing minor damage to one vessel, in the latest flareup in an increasingly tense territorial conflict.

There were no immediate reports of injuries in the incident off Scarborough Shoal, one of two hotly disputed areas where confrontations between China and the Philippines have flared on and off since last year.