Swiss men killed in the Philippines
Two Swiss men are dead after being shot by unknown gunmen in the Philippines on Sunday. The Swiss foreign ministry has confirmed the deaths. The men were 67 and 78 years old.
They were standing in front of a hotel, the Yasay Beach Resort in Opol on the island of Mindanao, when the gunmen opened fire. The victims’ female Filipino companions were not injured; they told police that the perpetrators fled on foot without robbing them. The Swiss men died at the crime scene.
Police say that the motive for the double homicide is unclear. The foreign ministry said that the Swiss embassy in Manila was in touch with the local authorities.
Opol is some 780 kilometres south of the capital, Manila. According to the foreign ministry’s travel advisory for the PhilippinesExternal link, the country has a high crime rate as well as security issues in connection with radical Islamic groups – particularly on the island of Mindanao.
Since 2009, several foreigners – including Swiss – have been kidnapped from here and the Sulu sea. There have also been several bomb attacks.
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