Two Pinoys wounded in Baghdad shooting

Two Filipino workers were wounded in Iraq when armed insurgents fired on the mini bus in which they were traveling between Baghdad center and the city’s airport, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

DFA spokesman Gilberto Asuque said Chargé d’ Affaires Ricardo Endaya of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad confirmed that two Filipinos were among the wounded in the attack by insurgents early yesterday.

The Filipinos, one of them identified as Francisco Luz, were on their way to work at an airport duty free shop when the attack occurred. Neither sustained life-threatening injuries, initial reports said.

Asuque said Luz and his unidentified woman companion were rushed to the St. Raphael Hospital in Karradah District.

He said Luz and the other Filipino worker had already been discharged from the hospital, a few hours after being treated for injuries.

"They have been discharged after receiving treatment. They are now safe," Asuque said.

Endaya told the DFA that the road leading to Baghdad International Airport from the city proper where the ambush took place is considered to be the "most dangerous" highway in Iraq.

Last year, the Philippines pulled out its token military contingent serving with US-led coalition forces in Iraq after militants threatened to behead Filipino truck driver Angelo de la Cruz.

However, large numbers of Filipino civilians continue to seek work in Iraq, mainly on US military bases, and another Filipino, Roberto Tarongoy, has been held hostage by insurgents since last November. — With AFP