The Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut is shown in a library photo.
(CNN)A US nuclear powered submarine struck an object underwater in the South China Sea on Saturday, according to two defense officials.
A number of sailors on board the USS Connecticut were injured in the accident, the officials said. None of the injuries were life-threatening, according to a statement from US Pacific Fleet. It's unclear what the Seawolf-class submarine may have hit while it was submerged.
"The submarine remains in a safe and stable condition. USS Connecticut's nuclear propulsion plant and spaces were not affected and remain fully operational," the statement said. "The incident will be investigated." The US Navy did not specify the incident took place in the South China Sea, only that it occurred in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region.
The accident happened as tensions between the US and China soared over the Chinese military's incursions into Taiwan's Air Defense Integration Zone (ADIZ).
The Connecticut was operating in the waters around the South China Sea as the US and its allies have been carrying out a major multinational show of force in the region, known as Carrier Strike Group 21. The ongoing exercise saw ships from the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, including three aircraft carriers, training in and around the area.
On Saturday, 39 Chinese military aircraft, including fighter jets and transport aircraft, entered Taiwan's ADIZ, causing the Taiwanese air force to scramble jets and deploy air defense missiles to monitor the aircraft. Two days later, China sent 56 aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ within 24 hours, the highest number since the self-governed island began publicly releasing such numbers last year.
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US submarine hits underwater object in South China Sea - CNNPolitics
