1 dead, 1 hurt in Surigao del Sur alleged NPA attack —NTF-ELCAC

A caretaker of an establishment was killed in an attack supposedly perpetrated by the New People’s Army in Surigao del Sur on Thursday, the government’s anti-insurgency task force said on Friday.

In a statement, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said a group of communist rebels attacked a private establishment in Lanuza town's Barangay Gamuton.

After about five minutes, the perpetrators fled from the area.

But the task force said the identity of the victim has yet to be determined, adding that another caretaker was also wounded after the attack.

Several construction equipment at the establishment were burned and destroyed.

Before the attack on the private establishment, the NTF-ELCAC said the NPA rebels attacked the Lanuza Municipal Police Station.

Pursuit operations are being conducted in the area.

The Lanuza local government is expected to file criminal complaints under the “Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity”, the task force said.

Also, it said the Regional Office of the Commission of Human Rights may hold an independent investigation into the incident. —Joviland Rita/LBG, GMA News