US vessel 'shoots at Suez boat'

A US container ship approaching the Suez Canal has opened fire on a small Egyptian motorboat, killing one man and wounding two others.

The Global Patriot, carrying used US military equipment, was in the Gulf of Suez when it was approached by a motorboat selling local merchandise. Its crew apparently fired after the boat failed to heed warnings to stop when asked, the US navy said. It added that it was in contact with Egypt through the US embassy in Cairo. As many as 100 other local vessels are said to have gathered at the scene, carrying hawkers demanding an inquiry. Some 7.5% of world sea trade passes through the Suez Canal, which is 190km long (118 miles) and 120m wide (395ft) at its narrowest point. It was after sunset on Monday when a motorboat carrying three local Egyptian traders approached the Global Patriot in the Gulf of Suez as it prepared to sail towards the Mediterranean, according to Egyptian officials. The Global Patriot's crew are reported to have ordered the motorboat to stop and when it did not, they opened fire, killing one and wounding two others, the officials added. According to the US Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC), the Global Patriot is a US-flagged roll-on, roll-off container ship chartered from Global Container Lines. In the past, it has been used by the MSC to transport a US military Patriot Missile defence battery, ammunition, and MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles around the world.
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