UAE asked to investigate incident in which one Indian fisherman was killed by US navy ship in waters off Dubai.
India has called on the United Arab Emirates to investigate the fatal shooting of an Indian fisherman by a US navy ship in waters off Dubai, the Indian foreign ministry has confirmed.
"India's ambassador in Abu Dhabi has requested UAE authorities to probe the circumstances of the tragic incident," the foreign ministry's spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera's Prerna Suri reporting from Delhi says: "The Indian authorities are pressing the UAE to charge those who are reponsible, this is fast becoming a diplomatic problem for India, the UAE and the US."
An Indian fisherman was killed and three people wounded as their boat was shot at off the coast of Dubai in the southern Gulf.
Lieutenant Greg Raelson, a spokesperson for the US navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said sailors aboard the USNS Rappahannock opened fire on the boat after it ignored warnings.
"US ships have an inherent right to self defence against potential threats... The safety of our vessels and our personnel is of the utmost priority," he told Al Jazeera in an email response to a query.
However, Al Jazeera spoke with witnesses who had been aboard the boat, who said that the US vessel gave no warning.
After firing on the fishing boat, the US ship sailed away without stopping to help, they said. The fishermen had to call for help themselves.
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