Tensions in the West Philippine Sea flared up anew on Saturday, leaving three Filipino fishermen injured after China Coast Guard vessels sprayed their boats with water cannons and cut their anchor lines.

The day before, Beijing said it had taken “necessary control measures” involving around 20 Philippine fishing boats near the flashpoint Sabina Shoal, a fish-rich area some 150 kilometers from Palawan.

It was the latest in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in the contested waterway, which Beijing claims nearly in its entirety despite an international ruling that said it had no right to be there.

The fishermen “were targeted with water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers,” the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson said in a statement.

“Three fishermen sustained physical injuries, including bruises and open wounds. Two (Filipino fishing boats) also suffered significant damage from high-pressure water cannon blasts,” Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

Chinese personnel on rigid hull inflatable vessels also “deliberately cut the anchor lines of several (boats),” he added.

In a statement issued Saturday, the China Coast Guard (CCG) said it had taken “necessary control measures against the Philippine vessels, including issuing warnings via loudspeaker and conducting external maneuvering to drive them away.”

A video released by the Philippine side showed water cannon blasts striking the small fishing boats.

Tarriela said the high-powered streams “destroyed wooden structures” on the vessels.

In October, the Philippines accused a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming one of its government vessels in the Spratly Islands, where Beijing has sought to assert its sovereignty claims for years. Beijing blamed Manila for the incident.

A month earlier, one person was injured when a water cannon attack by a China Coast Guard vessel shattered a window on the bridge of a fisheries bureau vessel near the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal.

PCG ships to the rescue

The PCG deployed multi-role response vessels, the MRRV-4403 and MRRV-4411, to the vicinity of Escoda Shoal in the WPS to provide support to the harassed group of Filipino fishermen.

On Friday, the PCG received reports that approximately 20 Filipino fishing boats operating in the area were targeted with water cannons and dangerous blocking maneuvers by CCG vessels 21559 and 21562 and accompanying Chinese maritime militia boats.

In a brazen escalation, small CCG rigid hull inflatable boats deliberately cut the anchor lines of several Filipino fishing boats, endangering the vessels and their crews amid the strong currents and high waves.

As a result of the aggressive actions, three Filipino fishermen sustained physical injuries, including bruises and wounds.