US Navy ship fires on boat off UAE

A security team aboard a US Navy refueling vessel fired upon an approaching motor boat off the United Arab Emirates on Monday after it ignored warnings, a US defence official told Reuters.

Reuters reported that the official was speaking on condition of anonymity.

It was not immediately clear to the official whether anyone was injured or killed.

But Reuters reported that the source said the boat was believed to have sped away after being fired upon by the crew aboard the USNS Rappahannock, according to an initial report.

According to a separate report by the BBC, the US Navy in Bahrain, where the 5th Fleet is based, said in a statement that a security team on board the ship fired on a small motor boat after it disregarded warnings and "rapidly approached" the ship off Jebel Ali.

"In accordance with navy force protection procedures, the sailors... used a series of non-lethal, preplanned responses to warn the vessel before resorting to lethal force," the statement said.

"The US crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel's operators to turn away from their deliberate approach. When those efforts failed to deter the approaching vessel, the security team on the Rappahannock fired rounds from a .50-calibre machine gun."

No casaulties have been confirmed, however AP news agency reported one person had been killed.

The BBC quoted the US Navy statement as saying the incident was being investigated.