EGYPT-CROATIA/HOSTAGE-FURTHER REAX Neighbours of Islamic State's Croat hostage react to reports of his death
Record ID:
144271
EGYPT-CROATIA/HOSTAGE-FURTHER REAX Neighbours of Islamic State's Croat hostage react to reports of his death
- Title: EGYPT-CROATIA/HOSTAGE-FURTHER REAX Neighbours of Islamic State's Croat hostage react to reports of his death
- Date: 12th August 2015
- Summary: VRPOLJE, CROATIA (AUGUST 12, 2015) (REUTERS) ROAD SIGN READING (Croatian): "VRPOLJE" VILLAGE STREET WITH MAN WALKING ON MOBILE PHONE SALOPEK FAMILY HOME SATELLITE DISH ON ROOF OF HOUSE WINDOWS ON HOUSE WITH BLINDS SHUT THREE MEN STANDING IN FRONT OF HOUSE ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) NEIGHBOUR AND SALOPEK FAMILY FRIEND, ZARKO MANDARIC, SAYING: "Of course, this (news) is a shock for the family, but there is still some hope." SALOPEK FAMILY HOME VARIOUS OF VRPOLJE VILLAGE CHURCH MEDIA VANS WITH SATELLITE DISHES IN FRONT OF CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) RESIDENT OF VRPOLJE, JOSIP MIJIC, SAYING: "This came as a shock for our village and for the whole of Croatia, and even more so for his parents and his family." (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) RESIDENT OF VRPOLJE, RUZA CALIC, SAYING: "I'm so sorry, I thought god would help him." CROSS ON TOP OF CHURCH CHURCH TO ENTRANCE WITH PEOPLE COMING IN VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PRAYING AND CRYING IN CHURCH
- Embargoed: 27th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Croatia
- Country: Croatia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA4FWXZ52NZZDQBMDC6KWWBVIEG
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Residents of the small village of Vrpolje said on Wednesday (August 12) that they were stunned after an Egyptian group affiliated with the Islamic State's published a photograph it said showed the beheaded body of a Croatian hostage it had threatened to kill last week.
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said on Wednesday the government could not confirm "with 100 percent certainty" the death of 30-year-old Tomislav Salopek, who works in Egypt for a French company which specialises in oil and gas geology.
The uncertainty left only a glimmer of hope for his friends and family.
Zarko Mandaric is a neighbour and friend of the Salopek family.
"Of course, this (news) is a shock for the family, but there is still some hope," he said.
Salopek was kidnapped on July 22 while traveling to Cairo and was later shown in a video released online the group.
Another local resident, Josip Mijic said the whole village was in shock.
"This came as a shock for our village and for the whole of Croatia, and even more so for his parents and his family," he said.
Resident Ruza Calic was saddened by the news.
"I'm so sorry, I thought god would help him."
As family, neighbours and friends gathered to attend an evening prayer for Salopek at the local church in Vrpolje, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic held a news conference in Split and confirmed the authorities' determination to continue searching for Salopek, as long as there was a glimmer of hope that he might be brought back alive.
"I want to say this firmly - as long as there's any trace of hope, or even a scintilla of a chance that Tomislav is still alive, we will continue to work. We will continue searching for him, we will continue working on saving his life," Grabar-Kitarovic told reporters.
Last December, Sinai Province said it was behind the killing of an American petroleum engineer whose body was found in a car in a desert region almost four months earlier.
Sinai Province is at the forefront of an Islamist militant insurgency in Egypt that has killed hundreds of soldiers and police in the two years since the military ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi after protests against his rule in 2013. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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