Nine suspected New People's Army rebels strafed a residence in Brgy. Sandayao, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, killing one of its occupants and injuring a family member on December 1, the military said yesterday.

1Lt. Orlando Ayllon, 11th Infantry Battalion Civil Military Operations chief, said the fatality, identified as Bernard Nocos, 30, and some members of his family were relaxing at the balcony of their house Saturday night, when they were fired at by a group of armed men claiming to be NPA members.

Ayllon said the mother of Nocos, Gelerma,50, was injured in the strafing incident, the motive for which has not been determined yet.

He said the armed perpetrators also ransacked the house of the victims and took valuable items before fleeing. The incident lasted for about a minute, he added.

Lt. Col. Wilfredo Isaac, 11th IB commander, yesterday condemned the strafing incident, reportedly perpetrated by armed rebels, adding that it further bolstered reports of the Commission on Human Rights that the NPA topped its list of human rights violators in Negros island.

Troopers of the 11IB are pursuing the armed suspects until now.

Isaac said the NPA have again violated the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, by killing another innocent civilian and inflicting injuries to his mother.* GPB

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