British Navy fire warning shots at Spanish Navy in Gibraltar

[Zain Malik]

GIBRALTAR (APP): A British navy patrol boat fired flares Sunday to warn off a Spanish ship which entered disputed waters off Gibraltar, officials said, the latest in a series of maritime face-offs between the two sides.



The Angeles Alvarino, a survey ship operated by Spain’s state Oceanographic Institute, entered the disputed waters on several occasions over the past 48 hours and was repeatedly told to leave by Royal Navy vessels, a Gibraltar government spokesman said.

The navy also prevented the vessel, whose crew says they are conducting a survey of an underwater canyon in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar, from deploying research buoys into the sea.

But the ship remained in the area and a British patrol boat on Sunday afternoon fired at least three warning flares as a result of its movements, according to the Gibraltar government spokesman, Britain’s Foreign Office and eyewitnesses.

Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said he had been in regular contact with the Commander of British Forces in the British territory, Commodore Mike Walliker, throughout the weekend in respect of the ship’s “incursion”.

“I have discussed all the tactical decisions taken and am satisfied that they have been designed to demonstrate untrammelled sovereignty jurisdiction and control over British Gibraltar territorial waters,” he added.


Gibraltar says Spanish vessels regularly stray deep into its territorial waters and the Foreign Office has attacked such incidents as provocative, but it is rare for the navy to fire flares.

A tiny enclave located on Spain’s southern tip, Gibraltar has been a British territory since 1713 and is known to its 30,000 residents as “the Rock”.

Gibraltar remains a source of British-Spanish tensions, with Madrid long claiming the territory should be returned to Spanish sovereignty.

 

[Blue Marlin]

fu*k you Spaniards fu*k you.
thats our island

 

[mike2000 is back]

fu*k you Spaniards fu*k you.
thats our island

Lol calm down bro. It has been our territory continuously for over 3 centuries to this day. it's going nowhere.
So such little skirmish involving flare is inconsequential/irrelevant when looking at bigger picture. It will remain british territory just like all our overseas territories spread around the world for centuries to come.

 

[royalharris]

with the sunset of the glorious empire，the spanish think they have opportunities

 

[Blue Marlin]

with the sunset of the glorious empire，the spanish think they have opportunities

there just as bad as a greek accountant

Lol calm down bro. It has been our territory continuously for over 3 centuries to this day. it's going nowhere.
So such little skirmish involving flare is inconsequential/irrelevant when looking at bigger picture. It will remain british territory just like all our overseas territories spread around the world for centuries to come.

im suprised they did that, twats

 

[mike2000 is back]

with the sunset of the glorious empire，the spanish think they have opportunities

Any country(well, bar the U.S) that thinks they have 'opportunities' is welcome to take us on our own turf militarily. Will be interesting to see the results of that(will only help our defence giants/industry increase their weapons production drastically). Many have tried for a long time in history with little success.

Anyway, i don't read much into this news. It's a non event and irrelevant. Just some news media sensationalising any little news event to draw in more viewers. lol

 

[royalharris]

Any country(well, bar the U.S) that thinks they have 'opportunities' is welcome to take us on our own turf militarily. Will be interesting to see the results of that(will only help our defence giants/industry increase their weapons production drastically). Many have tried for a long time in history with little success.

I don't think spain have any opportunity in the next at least 2 decades, the same with Argentina.
Dude，don't be angry, but there will always be problems from time to time

 

[Louiq XIV]

Well while the Royal Navy is sailing to the Mittelmeer to protect Gibraltar there is maybe an opportunity for the Marine Nationale to invade Jersey & Guernsey

 

[mike2000 is back]

Little success, but not no success. I seem to remember a Dane becoming the King of England at one point - forming Knutrike.

But seriously, tell Spain to shove off.

ahahahah....LMAO. Was waiting for you to intervene.

 

[damiendehorn]

Little success, but not no success. I seem to remember a Dane becoming the King of England at one point - forming Knutrike.

But seriously, tell Spain to shove off.

Ahhhhhhhh runnnnnnn the long boats are coming!!!!!!!!

 

[mike2000 is back]

I don't think spain have any opportunity in the next at least 2 decades, the same with Argentina.
Dude，don't be angry, but there will always be problems from time to time

Lol who is angry? seems you don't know me well bro. I'm here mostly for fun/good laugh and some entertainment, well, that's when i'm not learning some new stuffs i didn't know before(which hardly happens anyway, judging by PDF nature of trolling. lol ). The rest is irrelevant to me, much less making me angry.loool

i was just being sarcastic earlier though. Thought you will at least have recognized that. No anger in that whatsoever(on the contrary)

 

[Mamluk]

Why doesn't the UK just let this 6.7 km² piece of land go? Is it worth fighting over for eternity?

 

[Star Expedition]

Even Spain want to take that, they should have a plan, not just take risks.

Britain need 1 more aircraft carrier.

 

[SQ8]

Makes me almost nostalgic for the days of Elizabeth.. during the days of Elizabeth.

 

[NR Crazy]

The Gibraltarians themselves reject any such claim and no political party or pressure group in Gibraltar supports union with Spain. As far as I remember there have been a referendum and People of Gibraltar soundly rejected “joint sovereignty proposal” as well as their inclusion with Spain.

Ships of "Spain going here and there" is a day to day thing, cannot make a big lead out of it.