Four Filipinos Killed In Iraqi Rocket Attack!

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 03 May) – Four Filipinos were reported killed in a rocket attack in Iraq’s capital Baghdad.

The four were killed when a rocket slammed into the so-called Green Zone, an area that houses foreign embassies and government building and is secured by U.S. soldiers and private contractors.

The Filipinos, whose identities were not immediately known, were working in Iraq as U.S. government contractors, according to a report Thursday (Philippine time) by Bloomberg.

"These four colleagues, citizens of the Philippines, were integral members of our embassy community,'' the report quoted Charge D'Affaires Daniel Speckhard of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.” We value their contributions to our efforts on behalf of the people of Iraq, and we mourn their passing."

It was unknown if the four Filipinos were security contractors. The Philippines’ Foreign Affairs has not issued any statement about the killings of the four Filipinos or how they were able to sneak into Iraq and worked with the U.S. government.

Manila has banned Filipinos from working in Iraq after two of its citizens Angelo dela Cruz and Roberto Tarongoy were kidnapped by militants in 2003.

But despite a four-year old ban, many Filipinos are believed to be working as security personnel and bodyguards of diplomats and foreign contractors for Blackwater USA in Iraq.

Blackwater USA is said to be the most comprehensive professional security, peacekeeping, and stability operations company in the world.

The Green Zone is surrounded by high concrete blast walls and all entry points are staffed by security guards, but despite this it frequently come under attack from rocket and mortar fire.

An Iraqi lawmaker was killed in a suicide bomb attack inside the Green Zone on April 12. (Mindanao Examiner)