US Navy ship fires on boat off Dubai, killing 1

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A U.S. Navy ship opened fire on a small boat racing toward it in broad daylight Monday near the Gulf city of Dubai, killing one person, according to American officials.

The rare shooting not far from approaches to the Strait of Hormuz comes at a period of heightened tensions between the United States and nearby Iran.

There was no immediate sign of Iranian involvement, or any indication that the incident was a reprise of al-Qaida's 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. But the incident will likely focus further attention on the risks American vessels face in the Gulf even as the Navy beefs up its presence in the region.

Lt. Greg Raelson, a spokesman for the Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said a security team aboard the USNS Rappahannock issued a series of warnings before resorting to lethal force about 10 miles off the coast of Dubai's Jebel Ali port.

"The U.S. crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel's operators to turn away from their deliberate approach. When those efforts failed to deter the approaching vessel, the security team on the Rappahannock fired rounds from a .50-caliber machine gun," he said.

The Rappahannock is an oiler used to fuel other Navy ships while they are at sea.

The United Arab Emirates, which includes the commercial hub of Dubai and the oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi, is a key American ally in the Gulf. American warships frequently visit Dubai's Jebel Ali port, a popular rest stop among U.S. sailors.

A U.S. consular official told The Associated Press that one person was killed and three wounded in the shooting.

Tariq Ahmed al-Haidan, the assistant to the UAE Foreign Minister for political affairs, confirmed the number of dead and injured.

He said in a brief statement to the UAE's official news agency WAM that all were Indian citizens, and they were on board a fishing boat when they came under fire. Emirati authorities are investigating the incident, he added.

The white-hulled boat was inspected by dozens of police officers and other Emirati officials after the incident in a small Dubai harbor used by fishermen and recreational sailors.