China, Philippines Trade Blame for Latest Ship Collision in South China Sea | TIME

China and Philippine coast guard vessels clashed again in the South China Sea, marking the latest flareup in the disputed waters and undermining a temporary deal to avoid conflict.

Read More: Why the U.S. Faces a Delicate Balancing Act on Countering China in the South China Sea

The incident occurred early Monday when two vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard “illegally” attempted to enter waters around Xianbin Reef, the Chinese Coast Guard said in a flurry of four statements released on its WeChat account. 

A Philippine national security official said two of its ships were damaged from the collision. The reef is also known as the Sabina Shoal.

The damage to 2 PCG vessels looks serious. Photos courtesy of @jaytaryela pic.twitter.com/rnZTgBpgNr

Chinese coast guard said at around 3:23 a.m., a Philippine ship ignored multiple warnings and “deliberately” collided with a Chinese vessel in “an unprofessional, dangerous manner.” It released two videos showing the encounter.

The two Philippine ships later attempted to enter waters around the Ren’ai Reef, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, according to the Chinese coast guard. Beijing took “control measures” against them, it added, without providing details.

WATCH: A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel had a collision near Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Monday, according to a Chinese official.