Another Vietnamese citizen murdered by terrorists in the Philippines

After an attack on Abu Sayyaf rebels, the Philippine military found several dead in the Tolo area, including a Vietnamese citizen.

Abu Sayyaf terrorist group. Photo: Vice.

The Philippine military found several dead people, including Vietnamese citizen Tran Viet Van, after attacks on the Abu Sayyaf group in the Tolo area of ​​Sulu, a statement from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today.

"We would like to send our deepest condolences to the family of citizen Tran Viet Van and hope that the family will soon overcome these painful moments and great losses and stabilize their lives," said Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines is coordinating with local and domestic authorities to complete the necessary procedures and conditions to bring the victim's body or remains back to the country according to the family's wishes.

Previously, two Vietnamese citizens, Hoang Trung Thong and Hoang Van Hai, crew members of the Royal 16, were murdered by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf on the night of July 4. There were 6 Vietnamese crew members on the Royal 16 that were kidnapped near Basilan Island, Philippines in November 2016. At the end of June, citizen Hoang Vo, one of the crew members, was released and returned to Vietnam.

On the morning of July 11, a representative of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Vietnam, requesting that the Philippines urgently assist in resolving the incident and, at the same time, ensure the safety of the Vietnamese citizens being detained.

The area near Basilan Island is home to the Abu Sayyaf, a group that has been active in kidnappings for ransom in the Philippines since the 1990s. The group was once linked to al-Qaeda before pledging allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS)./.

According to VNE