Beijing, China: China on Friday rejected US allegations that Chinese nationals shone military-grade lasers at American pilots in Djibouti, dismissing the claims as "inconsistent with facts".
Beijing, which operates a naval base in the Horn of Africa country, denied Pentagon accusations that Chinese personnel have targeted US pilots in the country with the beams, resulting in minor injuries to airmen and creating the potential for an accident.
"After careful verification, we have told the US explicitly that the so-called accusations are totally inconsistent with facts," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.
US officials issued a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded Beijing investigate a series of incidents dating back several weeks, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Thursday.
"This activity poses a true threat to our airmen."
Located at Djibouti international airport, the US military's Camp Lemonnier base is its only permanent facility in Africa. It is used largely for counter-terrorism operations in East Africa and Yemen.
White said she was "confident" that whoever had shone the high-powered lasers was Chinese.
The Federal Aviation Administration last month published a warning to pilots to use extreme caution in the area.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Beijing, which operates a naval base in the Horn of Africa country, denied Pentagon accusations that Chinese personnel have targeted US pilots in the country with the beams, resulting in minor injuries to airmen and creating the potential for an accident.
"After careful verification, we have told the US explicitly that the so-called accusations are totally inconsistent with facts," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters.
US officials issued a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded Beijing investigate a series of incidents dating back several weeks, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Thursday.
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"This activity poses a true threat to our airmen."
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Located at Djibouti international airport, the US military's Camp Lemonnier base is its only permanent facility in Africa. It is used largely for counter-terrorism operations in East Africa and Yemen.
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White said she was "confident" that whoever had shone the high-powered lasers was Chinese.
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The Federal Aviation Administration last month published a warning to pilots to use extreme caution in the area.
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(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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