MANILA, Philippines -- The United States deployed two warships on Wednesday in a disputed South China Sea shoal, where two Chinese navy and coast guard ships collided two days ago while trying to drive away a smaller Philippine ship in a high-seas accident captured on video, alarming several Western and Asian countries.

This comes after a Chinese warship crashed into one of its own country's coast guard vessels as it chased a patrol boat belonging to the Philippines

It is the first known US military operation in at least six years within the shoal’s waters. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.