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A US Navy ship fired on a small boat in the Persian Gulf, killing at least one Indian fisherman, and injuring three others. The USNS Rappahannock fired a .50-caliber machine gun on the small fishing boat in the waters off the United Arab Emirates on Monday. The smaller vessel was a fishing boat, an Emirati diplomat said in a statement. One Indian fisherman was killed and three Indian nationals were critically injured, said U.A.E. deputy foreign affairs minister Tareq Al Haidan. According to a UAE diplomat, the shooting occurred close to the entrance of the port of Jebel Ali , The Wall Street Journal reports. The diplomat added that Emirati authorities are investigating the matter. According to the paper, U.S. officials defended the actions of the Rappahannock , saying the small vessel ignored a series of nonlethal warnings. "The safety of our vessels and our personnel is our utmost priority. Our ships have an inherent right of self-defense against potential threats," the paper quoted Lt. Greg Raelson, a spokesman for the Navy's Fifth Fleet, as saying. "In this situation you had a small motor vessel that was deliberately approaching and did not respond to any warnings," he added.

US Navy ship fire kills one Indian fisherman, injures three in UAE waters