Pinoy killed in Iraq mortar attack

07/12/2007

A Filipino was reportedly among three persons killed Tuesday by a mortar attack by militants in Baghdad’s Green Zone, where the American and British Embassies and thousands of United States troops are based.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said it is still checking on the report.

DFA spokesman Claro Cristobal said the Home Office in Manila has not yet received an official report from Philippine Embassy officials, who are temporarily holding office in Amman, Jordan for security reasons.

Radio station DzEC said the Filipino was not immediately identified.

The report said the Filipino was killed along with an Iraqi and a US serviceman.

At least 18 persons, including five Americans, were wounded in the attack.

The US Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement that the fatalities were “a US military service member, an Iraqi citizen and a third-country national of unknown nationality.”

Manila is imposing a deployment ban of workers to Iraq after insurgents abducted Filipino truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, who was threatened to be beheaded by his captors, in July 2004.

De la Cruz was subsequently released when President Arroyo capitulated to the demand of the kidnappers to withdraw a small Philippine contingent in Iraq — a decision strongly criticized by Washington and other allies.

Another Filipino, accountant Robert Tarongoy, was also abducted by militants and later freed on June 2005 after eight months in captivity. Michaela P. del Callar

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