Two U.S. troops suffered minor injuries after Chinese military personnel shined a laser at American military aircraft deployed to Djibouti, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The injuries, involving two U.S. service members flying in a C-130 aircraft, were among a string of the laser incidents at a key military hub in the African nation where China has built a neighboring military base, prompting the U.S. to file a formal protest with Beijing and request an investigation, said Dana White, the chief Pentagon spokesperson.
“They are very serious incidents. There have been two minor injuries. This activity poses a true threat to our airmen,” White told reporters at a press briefing. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the incidents.
China opened its first overseas military base last year at Djibouti’s main port and nearby Camp Lemonnier, which functions as the U.S. military’s base of operations and logistics hub for missions across Africa.
The targeting of U.S. aircraft with lasers goes back weeks but a recent uptick ratcheted up concerns in the Pentagon, White said.
The total number of incidents are likely less than 10, she said. Lasers can distract or disorient pilots and create a safety hazard, though White declined to discuss what the motive in the incidents in Djibouti might be.
“We expect China to investigate it thoroughly,” she said.
