Philippine officials say Chinese forces seized boats in South China Sea

A dilapidated but still active Philippine Navy ship sits at the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea (Aaron Favila/AP)

Chinese forces seized two Philippine rubber boats that were delivering food and other supplies to a military outpost in a disputed South China Sea shoal in a tense confrontation in which some Filipino navy personnel were injured, Philippine security officials said on Tuesday.

The United States renewed a warning that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, a treaty ally, a day after the hour-long hostilities in Second Thomas Shoal.