Another Vietnamese citizen murdered by terrorists in the Philippines.

Following an attack by Abu Sayyaf militants, the Philippine military found several dead bodies in the Tolo area, including a Vietnamese citizen.

The Abu Sayyaf terrorist group. Photo: Vice.

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

"We extend our deepest condolences to the family of citizen Tran Viet Van and hope that the family will soon overcome these times of great grief and loss and stabilize their lives," said Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines is coordinating with local and domestic authorities to complete the necessary procedures and conditions to bring the remains or ashes of the victims back to Vietnam in accordance with the wishes of their families.

Previously, two Vietnamese citizens, Hoang Trung Thong and Hoang Van Hai, crew members of the Royal 16 ship, were murdered by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group on the night of July 4th. Six Vietnamese crew members on the Royal 16 were kidnapped near Basilan Island, Philippines, in November 2016. At the end of June, 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 Chargé d'affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Vietnam, requesting the Philippines to urgently assist in resolving the incident and to ensure the safety of Vietnamese citizens currently being detained.

The area near Basilan Island is home to the Abu Sayyaf militant group, which frequently carries out kidnappings for ransom in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf began operating in the 1990s. The group was previously linked to al-Qaeda before pledging allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

According to VNE