NPAs attack Eastern Samar town police station

TACLOBAN CITY—Armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked the police station of Can-avid, Eastern Samar, but no one was hurt.

Senior Inspector Ricardo Nebrija, Can-avid police chief, said windows and ceilings were damaged in the attack but none of the 12 policemen on duty were hurt during the attack. Police counted three grenades lobbed at the police station, but only one exploded.

Investigators said three armed men came on a motorcycle past 8 p.m. on Wednesday and lobbed grenades at the police station, fleeing on foot shortly after that.

Nebrija, who was inside his office at the station at that time, said he and the other policemen ducked for cover when they heard an explosion. Policemen were expecting gunfire after the blast, said Nebrija.

Police quoted a witness who was outside the police station during the attack as saying he heard the attackers shout they were NPA members as they fled.

Can-avid has a population of more than 20,000, 28 villages and 23 policemen.