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

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

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.

Vietnam has condemned China, 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 Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

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,