4 killed as shootout between Cuban forces, US-tagged speedboat

KABUL (Pajhwok): Four people have been killed by Cuban border patrol forces in a shootout with a US-registered speedboat, according to media reports on Thursday.

The Cuban government said its forces fired on the speedboat, which had entered Cuban waters and allegedly opened fire on a patrol vessel.

The boat reportedly bore a Florida registration, with the state located about 145 kilometers (90 miles) from Cuba.

Al Jazeera reported that the Cuban authorities accused the speedboat crew of firing the first shot, which led to an exchange of gunfire.

“The crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on Cuban personnel, injuring the commander of the Cuban vessel,” the statement said. “As of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured.”

The incident occurred Wednesday morning offshore from Cayo Falcones, a barrier island in Villa Clara province, north-central Cuba.

sa