No Filipino casualties so far in Somalia’s bomb attack: DFA

FILE: “The Philippines joins the rest of the international community in condemning this brutal attack and expresses its hopes that the perpetrators be brought to justice,” DFA Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said in a statement. (KARL NORMAN ALONZO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said there were no reports yet of Filipino casualties in the terrorist bomb attacks in Mogadishu that left over 300 people dead.

In his report to DFA, Ambassador Norman Garibay of the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, which has jurisdiction over Somalia, said members of the Filipino community informed him that so far they have not heard of any Filipinos among the casualties in the incident.

Garibay said there are about 20 Filipinos in Somalia, mostly working with the United Nations and construction companies.

Meanwhile, the Philippines joined the international community in condemning Saturday’s terrorist bomb attacks.

“The Philippines joins the rest of the international community in condemning this brutal attack and expresses its hopes that the perpetrators be brought to justice,” DFA Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said in a statement.

Cayetano also expressed the country’s sympathy to Somalia over the reported deaths.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which the Somali government blames on the Islamic State affiliated Al-Shabab that has been operating in Somalia.