Cuban officials said a U.S.-registered speedboat violated the country's territorial waters, kicking off an armed confrontation with Cuban border guard troops in which four people on the vessel were killed.

The Cuban Ministry of the Interior said in a statement that people on the U.S. vessel initiated the firefight and that a commander of the Cuban border guard was injured and six people on the U.S. registered vessel were also injured

U.S. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.