MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines accused Chinese maritime officials on Friday of carrying out an "unjustified assault" on Vietnamese fishermen in the contested waters of the South China Sea, adding its voice to a fraught dispute over the confrontation.

As the Philippines seeks a UN Security Council seat to address South China Sea tensions, China's veto power may limit its impact The Philippines is campaigning for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC),

According to a source close to the matter, the Vietnamese vessels illegally intruded the Xisha islands at the night of September 29. The China Coast Guard law enforcement vessels then sounded its horn as a warning and required the Vietnamese vessel to accept inspection, but the latter refused to cooperate.

The Philippines strongly condemned the violent actions of Chinese maritime authorities against Vietnamese fishermen near the Paracel Islands on September 29, which left 10 fishermen injured and damaged their property.

The Philippine Coast Guard said it is keeping an eye on China’s next move at a disputed South China Sea shoal that has become the latest flashpoint in the two nations’ maritime spat.

Vietnam claims an attack by Chinese law enforcement on a Vietnamese fishing vessel in disputed waters resulted in injuries to 10 crewmen.

The Philippines on Friday denounced China 's alleged assault of Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are also locked in violent confrontations that have led to fears of armed conflict.

The Philippines‘ foreign ministry said on Friday it was aware of what it described as a “serious incident” between Vietnamese fishermen and Chinese maritime authorities late last month. “The Philippines has consistently denounced the use of force,