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| The Abu Sayyaf group is notorious for kidnappings, beheadings and deadly bombings. — Illustrative Photo |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wednesday afternoon confirmed that a Vietnamese citizen was killed following the Philippines government’s strikes against the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.
A foreign ministry press release said that the Philippines military has recovered the body of Vietnamese national Trần Việt Văn after having carried out attacks against the jihadists in Sulu province.
“I am grief-stricken to confirm that Vietnamese national Trần Việt Văn has lost his life. We want to send our deepest condolences to Trần Việt Văn’s family, wishing that they soon overcome such a great loss,” said the foreign ministry spokeswoman Lê Thị Thu Hằng.
She also said that the Vietnamese embassy in the Philippines was working with both the Vietnamese and Filipino authorities to complete forensic and legal procedures, preparing documents to bring Văn’s body back to his family.
Văn was the third Vietnamese killed in related to Abu Sayyaf, after another two Vietnamese nationals Hoàng Trung Thông and Hoàng Văn Hải were beheaded by the terrorists on July 4. The three of them were among six sailors of the Royal 16 ship kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in November last year.
Only one of them was rescued and brought back to Việt Nam, which means another two Vietnamese are still held captive by the jihadist group.
The foreign ministry on Tuesday morning summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Philippines embassy in Hà Nội, asking the country to offer urgent assistance in the case and to ensure safety of the remaining kidnapped Vietnamese citizens. — VNS
