DJIBOUTI – In what is likely to escalate tensions between the UnitedStates and China, the former on Friday accused the latter of targeting itspilots with high-grade lasers in Djibouti.

According to the WSJ, the US today lodged a formal complaint with China,alleging that the Chinese military injured two American airmen by directinghigh-grade lasers at their aircraft in Djibouti.

Addressing a press briefing, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana W White toldreporters that Washington had requested Beijing to investigate incidents inthe past few weeks in which US aircraft in Djibouti had been affected bythe unauthorised Chinese laser activity.

The Pentagon spokeswoman further alleged that people at the east Africanbase had been shining military-grade lasers at the US pilots coming to land.

According to reports, at least two US pilots on a cargo plane sufferedminor eye injuries due to their targeting by locals using high-grade laserbeams.

“This activity poses a big threat to our airmen,” White said, adding that”the incidents had grown increasingly serious”.

China has, however, categorically rejected the allegation made by the US.

Reacting to the US charge, China`s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Huadismissed the allegations and said, “After careful verification, we havetold the US explicitly that the accusation is totally inconsistent withfact,” she said.

The incidents with the lasers, which can temporarily blind pilots, come asone of the first major dust-ups since China opened its first overseasmilitary base in Djibouti in 2017.

The facility’s opening raised concerns among American military officialsabout the proximity of the Chinese military installation to Americanforces. The Chinese have characterised the base as a logistics hub forpeacekeeping and anti-piracy operations.

American authorities recently issued a notice, warning pilots to “useextreme caution when transiting near the area”.

Military-grade laser beams, occasionally known as “dazzlers”, emit apowerful beam of light that can travel great distances and be used toilluminate aircraft cockpits, temporarily blinding pilots.

The US and China both have bases in Djibouti, an East African nation on theGulf of Aden with fewer than one million people. Djibouti has become a hubof foreign military activity in recent years, hosting bases from an arrayof countries including France, Italy and Japan. Saudi Arabia is planning tobuild a base there as well.