Department of Foreign Affairs building. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—A Filipino woman was shot and wounded by gunmen in an attack in a luxury hotel in Tripoli, Libya, last Tuesday which Islamic extremists have claimed responsibility for, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday.
Nine people were killed in the attack at the Corinthia Hotel, according to wire reports which quoted sources as saying that the dead included two Filipinos. They said two other Filipinos had been wounded in the attack.
But Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, the DFA spokesperson, told a press briefing yesterday that there were no Filipino casualties other than the injured Filipino woman whom he did not identify.
He repeatedly said the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli had gone to major hospitals in Tripoli as well as contacted Libyan authorities to check if there were other Filipinos who were hurt in the incident.
“The embassy is verifying (the reported two Filipino deaths) but as I’ve said, they already checked… and so far [there are] no other Filipino casualties,” Jose said.
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