The Chinese fishing boat attacked by gunmen from an unidentified foreign boat in the South China Sea has returned home, carrying the bodies of four fishermen and eight survivors.

The fishing boat arrived at Tanmen port of Qionghai City, Hainan Province on May 2.

The fishing boat carrying 15 fishermen, all natives of Tanmen, were attacked by the armed boat at 18:00 p.m. on April 27, when they were fishing in the waters near the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea. Four fishermen were killed on the spot and two were wounded.

All the equipment on their boat, worth 170,000 yuan (about 21,000 U.S. dollars), including a radio and navigation apparatus, were robbed by 13 gunmen from the foreign boat.

The fishermen were conducting legitimate fishing activity in waters of the Nansha Islands when they were attacked. The nationality of the attackers is still unknown, according to the city government of Qionghai.

The fishermen managed to report the incident through other fishing boats to the Agriculture Ministry of China, and the ministry instructed a patrol boat to sail to the scene for rescue efforts. The South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese navy also sent military surgeons to help the rescue work.

The two wounded and another fisherman were brought back to Sanya City by the patrol boat.

Local government has set up a special team to deal with problems arising from the incident.

Other Chinese fishing boats in the waters of the Nansha Islands have got warnings after the incident.

Source: Xinhua