The aftermath of the attacks on the Ea Ktur Commune People's Committee HQ. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Public Security on Friday provided a briefing on the violent gun attacks on local administration's headquarters building in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk last Sunday that claimed the lives of nine people and injured two others.

Major General Đặng Hồng Đức, Chief of Office of the public security ministry, stated that at around 0:35am on June 11, two armed groups (from different localities in Đắk Lắk) broke into and attacked the people's committees buildings of the two communes Ea Ktur and Ea Tiêu (Cư Kuin District), using knives, guns, petrol bombs and hand grenades.

The buildings suffered serious damage with documents and papers burnt.

The two police stations housed inside the buildings were also attacked, resulting in the death of four police officers.

Police revealed the gangs killed a total of five other people as they withdrew from the two commune offices, including the two commune leaders who were murdered while on the way to the headquarters after they heard reports of the disturbance incident.

In total, four police officers, two commune officials, along with three civilians were killed in the attacks, Đức noted, adding that two police officers were hurt and their injuries are being treated, while three ethnic minority persons were held as hostages but later released.

The Ministry of Public Security has also said the group planned to infiltrate a military camp in Krông Pắc District to steal weapons but didn't follow through as there were people awake at the camp's gates at the time.

On the night of the incident, the Ministry of Public Security swiftly reinforced the task forces, deployed blockade measures and sealed off incident areas, put government offices under strong protection, ensured security and safety for the people, and hunted down the suspects involved in the attacks, Đức said.

The ministry has also provided timely support and sent representatives to visit the families of the fallen and injured comrades, as well as of the officials and civilians.

To date, over 50 suspects have been detained, including all the ringleaders, with many weapons seized.

The perpetrators are mostly young people, fuelled by the hatred and divisions sowed online with regard to ethnic tensions between the Kinh people (the majority of the population in Việt Nam) and minority ethnic groups, according to Đức.

Police officers were deployed to round up the suspects involved in the attacks. — VNA/VNS Photo Phan Sáu

According to the initial assessment, the cause of the incident was prompted by the conspiracy of hostile forces. Some members of the in-exile FULRO organisation - an illegal, secessionist union - have incited other ethnic minority groups to drive a wedge between the Kinh and ethnic minority peoples, causing disorder and attracting attention from abroad.

But police forces are currently investigating and clarifying this issue, the public security ministry official stressed.

Major General Đức said the police will continue to pursue all remaining suspects, seize all weapons and explosives, and guarantee absolute safety for the people and the enforcement forces involved in the pursuit.

They will also carry out investigations and promptly handle cases in accordance with regulations.

Initial confessions from the arrested suspects said the ringleaders promised them a prosperous future as long as they follow their orders and shoot and kill everyone they run into at the commune offices.

They will review and ensure absolute security plans for all critical areas, targets, and sectors, closely monitor the situation and advise the Party committees and authorities on enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, eliminating potential complex factors that may arise from early on.

The Ministry of Public Security proposes that the provincial party committees and authorities of Đắk Lắk Province, as well as other Central Highlands localities and surrounding areas, pay special attention to carrying out effective mass mobilisation, maintenance of close ties with the people, timely detection of internal conflicts and grievances within the people to resolve them early on, and improving the vigilance of the people against the schemes of counter-revolutionary hostile forces that seek to divide the great national unity bloc.

This will bolster the nationwide movement to protect the security of the homeland.

The public security official also thanked the support of the people in Đắk Lắk, saying that the police would not be able to capture all the suspects and masterminds of the incident in such a short time without their crucial help.

By now, life in Cư Kuin District and especially in the two communes affected by the attacks "has returned to normal, and peace has been restored," Đức said. — VNS