SUEZ, Egypt — Angry mourners buried an Egyptian man Tuesday who they said was killed by shots fired from an American cargo ship contracted to the U.S. Navy as it passed through the Suez Canal.
U.S. officials said American military guards aboard the ship only fired warning shots toward approaching motorboats Monday night and said they had received no report of anyone being killed.
The incident occurred when the merchant ship Global Patriot entered the canal from the Red Sea and was approached by small motorboats that ply the waterway selling goods to passing ships, according to both Egyptian and U.S. accounts of the incident.
Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, spokeswoman for the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet, said cargo ships sailing under contract to the Navy follow the same rules of engagement as American warships in dealing with approaching boats.
“The boats were hailed and warned by a native Arabic speaker using a bullhorn to warn them to turn away. A warning flare was then fired,” the U.S. Embassy in Cairo said in a statement. “One small boat continued to approach the ship and received two sets of warning shots 20-30 yards in front of the bow. All shots were accounted for as they entered the water.”
A U.S. Navy security team aboard the ship fired the shots, said Lt. Nathan Christensen, the 5th Fleet’s deputy spokesman.
The Navy said in a statement that it was investigating, but that initial reports from the ship indicated there were no casualties.
An Egyptian security official at the canal, however, said one man was fatally shot in the small boat and the three other men with him were wounded. The Egyptian state news agency MENA also reported one man was killed. There was no immediate comment from Egypt’s government.
Family and friends buried the reported victim — Mohammed Fouad, a 27-year-old father of two — in Suez.
“He was shot while trying to take cover,” Abdullah Fouad said of his brother. “We expect this from foreigners, especially Americans who hate us, but we thought our government would help us.”
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