Two coastguard patrol boats blasted each other with water cannon as tensions escalated over the ownership of a tiny group of rocky islands in the South China Sea. The Japanese vessel opened fire on its Taiwanese rival as the ship encroached on the disputed land - which is also claimed by China - earlier today. In a bid to repel the approaching flotilla, they opened fire with their powerful water arsenal. But the Taiwanese boats fired back with their own spray guns sparking a ferocious water fight. Super soakers at dawn: The Japanese coastguard (top) exchanges fire with a Taiwanese counterpart (bottom) in a ferocious water fight
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It was the latest confrontation over the uninhabited islands Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China
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China, Japan and Taiwan all claim the islands, but they are administered by Tokyo, since the Japanese government bought them from private owners two weeks ago
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Taiwanese fishing boats were joined by 12 @placeholder government patrol
flare-up in tensions over the islands comes at a time when both @placeholder