Four people were killed in a firefight between Cuban forces and the crew of an American-registered vessel off the coast of north-central Cuba earlier this week, the country's Ministry of the Interior (MININT) confirmed in a social media post.
The ministry said the incident began in the early morning (local time) of Wednesday, February 25, after a boat was detected in Cuban territorial waters one nautical mile northeast of Corralillo municipality in Villa Clara province.
A patrol vessel with embarked Cuban Border Troops (TGF) personnel was dispatched to the area to intercept the boat, which MININT claims was registered in the US state of Florida.
According to reports, those on the American boat opened fire on the TGF personnel without warning, injuring the captain of the TGF vessel.
MININT said the TGF personnel then returned fire, killing four people on the suspect boat and injuring six others.
The survivors on the American boat were eventually apprehended. MININT said those who were injured have since been treated.
"Faced with current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defence is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region," the ministry said.