The two Filipino women abducted in Iraq on Friday, July 6, have been released, the Diyala province police chief said on Sunday, July 8.
The women, along with three other Filipina passengers, were traversing a road connecting Baghdad to oil city Kirkuk en route to the capital of the Kurdistan Region, Erbil, when their vehicle broke down.
The two victims went down the vehicle to check the car when two unknown men riding a yellow car abducted them.
Following the abduction, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) contacted authorities from the Iraqi government to secure the rescue of the two Filipino nationals.
The police, however, have yet to identify the identity or affiliation of the kidnappers. No group has also claimed responsibility for the abduction.
Recently, at least eight members of the security force were kidnapped by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS, along the same highway. All abducted members of the security force were killed later on.
Three other Filipinos abducted in Libya
Meanwhile, there is still no update on the three Filipino nationals who were also abducted in Libya on the same day the two Filipino nationals were abducted in Iraq.
The Philippine Embassy in Tripoli reported that three Filipino nationals were among the four foreign nationals who were abducted while working at a water plant in south eastern Libya.
Chargé d’Affaires Mardomel Melicor said that initially five foreign nationals and several Libyan workers were abducted. One of the foreign nationals and all Libyan workers were released later on.
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