HÀ NỘI — A crew member of a Vietnamese ship was reported killed and six others abducted in waters off the Filipino island of Mindanao.

The information was confirmed Monday afternoon by a representative of Phạm Hải Import-Export company that owns the ship, Thanh Niên (Young People) online newspaper reported.

The ship, named MW Giang Hải, with 17 crew members onboard, was transporting cement from Indonesia to the Philippines, and came under attack on Sunday evening near the restive Sulu archipelago.

The attackers haven’t been identified, however the rebel group Abu Sayyaf is known to operate in the area, and have previously been involved in piracy and kidnapping.

According to Thanh Niên, crew member Vũ Đức Hạnh, 22, was reportedly shot dead. The six other Vietnamese nationals abducted are the captain of the vessel, two vice captains, two mechanics, and one sailor. The other 10 sailors were left onboard and later rescued by a Vietnamese-flagged cargo ship.

Phan Văn Hiền, a security officer from International Marine Transport Joint-Stock Company that operates the ship, said the vessel sustained damaged in the attack.

The Vietnamese transport ministry has informed the country’s Consulate General in the Philippines of the incident and has asked for co-operation and support from Filipino authorities.

A Vietnamese ship was attacked by pirates about 10 nautical miles from Basilan Island in November last year, as it was transporting cement from Quảng Ninh Province to the Philippines. — VNS