Almost all masterminds of deadly Dak Lak attacks arrested: police

A representative of the Ministry of Public Security said most of the suspects were young people of ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands province. They said they were incited and coerced to do what they did, the representative added.

One of the masterminds of the attacks, Y Tho Ayun, 35, also known as Ama Kzruh, told authorities he had incited villagers in Dak Lak to carry out the gun attacks on the People’s Committee offices in Ea Ktur and Ea Tieu communes, which also house the local police stations. He said he only enlisted “people I trust.”

Early on Sunday morning an unidentified group of people with guns attacked the offices.

Four police officers, two commune officials and three civilians were killed. Two other officers were injured. It is uncertain whether or not any of the attackers were injured or killed.

The attacks started at around 0:35 a.m., when 10 armed suspects entered the People’s Committee office of Ea Tieu. Major Tran Quoc Thang and captain Ha Tuan Anh died on duty.

The group then stopped a pick-up truck on National Highway 27, about 1.5 km from the office, and killed a driver.

At the same time, 30 other armed people attacked the People’s Committee office in Ea Ktur. They threatened a truck driver and forced him to block the road. They threw a Molotov’s cocktail into the truck, then entered the office and burned documents and a car.

Major Hoang Trung and captain Nguyen Dang Nhan lost their lives while on duty. Two other police officers were injured.

During their escape, the suspects also killed the Party secretary of Ea Ktur Commune Nguyen Van Kien and took three civilians hostage. The civilians eventually escaped safely.

Ea Tieu Commune chairman Nguyen Van Dung was killed while he was traveling to the office after hearing about the attacks.

The public security ministry said it would deploy all necessary measures to find other suspects in the attacks.