A nine-year-old boy died in an improvised bomb explosion in Northern Samar last Wednesday.

Capt. Reynaldo Aragones Jr., public affairs office chief of the 8th Infantry Division, said the fatality was Armando Remolde of Brgy San Miguel, Las Navas.

Aragones said based on initial report the explosion occurred in the same barangay at around 9:40 am.

He said the 20th Infantry Battalion were conducting security patrols in response to reported extortion when they were harassed by undetermined number of suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members by throwing an improvised explosive device that hit the victim.

Aragones said the military “strongly condemn the terroristic act perpetrated by the Communist NPA Terrorist belong to Eastern Visayas Party Committee (EVRPC).”

“The use of IEDs has long been outlawed by the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL),” he said.

Maj. Gen Raul Farnacio, commander of the 8th Infantry Division, expressed sympathy to the victim's relatives. Robina Asido/DMS