The three suspects, Nguyễn Thành Đạt, Đoàn Anh Quốc, and Huỳnh Thanh Danh. — Photo courtesy of the police

KHÁNH HOÀ — Three suspects have been arrested by police in the south-central province of Khánh Hòa after four foreign tourists were attacked with weapons.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Đào Xuân Trường, head of the Nha Trang Ward Police, on Saturday said the unit had detained Đoàn Anh Quốc (23 years old), Nguyễn Thành Đạt (38), and Huỳnh Thanh Danh (27), all residents of Khánh Hòa Province, to probe their actions causing public disorder.

According to the police, in monitoring information on social media, authorities took note of a 24-second clip on Facebook that has drawn public attention showing a group of Vietnamese youths using weapons to chase and beat a group of foreigners on the street in the popular beach town Nha Trang.

The police then verified the incident occurred on Nguyễn Thiện Thuật Street in Nha Trang Ward, and summoned three suspects for questioning.

All three admitted their part in the attack, which occurred just after 4am on January 27.

The tourists were sitting outside of Q'Bar at 104 Nguyễn Thiện Thuật Street. This group got into a dispute and argument with another foreigner.

Seeing this, Đạt, who was working at Q'Bar, intervened but was struck by one of the tourists.

Witnessing the scene, Quốc grabbed a pool cue, a wooden stick and an iron bar from inside the bar. He handed the iron bar to Danh. Quốc armed himself with the pool cue and gave Đạt the wooden stick.

The group then chased and beat the four foreigners from in front of Q'Bar out into the middle of Nguyễn Thiện Thuật Street. Once the tourists fled, Quốc's group returned to the bar and resumed normal business.

The three Vietnamese are unharmed, the status of the foreigners involved in the altercation is not yet known.

Police are now tracking down the four assaulted foreign tourists to further investigate the matter. — VNS