MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines accused Chinese maritime officials on Friday of carrying out an "unjustified assault" on Vietnamese fishermen in the contested waters of the South China Sea, adding its voice to a fraught dispute over the confrontation.

The Philippines on Friday denounced China 's alleged assault of Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are also locked in violent confrontations that have led to fears of armed conflict.

The Philippines has accused China of assaulting Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea. This tension, involving overlapping territorial claims by China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, highlights ongoing disputes in the region and underscores the potential for broader geopolitical conflicts,

The Philippine Coast Guard said it is keeping an eye on China’s next move at a disputed South China Sea shoal that has become the latest flashpoint in the two nations’ maritime spat.

Vietnam claims an attack by Chinese law enforcement on a Vietnamese fishing vessel in disputed waters resulted in injuries to 10 crewmen.

Vietnam has condemned China while saying that Chinese law enforcement personnel assaulted 10 Vietnamese fishermen, damaged their fishing gear and seized about 4 tons of fish catch near the disputed Pa

Chinese government personnel on Sunday attacked a Vietnamese fishing boat in disputed waters of the South China Sea, leaving several fishermen with serious injuries, Vietnamese state media reported. The incident took place in the Paracel Islands,

Vietnam on Wednesday protested to China over what it said was an attack on a Vietnamese fishing boat three days ago in contested South China Sea waters that injured several fishermen.

The Philippines‘ foreign ministry said on Friday it was aware of what it described as a “serious incident” between Vietnamese fishermen and Chinese maritime authorities late last month. “The Philippines has consistently denounced the use of force,