NARATHIWAT, Thailand – A group of about 20 armed men raided the Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary in Waeng district, Narathiwat province, on Saturday evening, stealing weapons and setting fire to multiple buildings.
The attackers, dressed in black and wearing face coverings, emerged from the mountainous area behind the sanctuary’s staff quarters around 5.45 p.m.
They took four staff members hostage, binding their hands and feet, before forcing them to reveal the location of the sanctuary’s weapons cache.
After seizing an estimated 10 shotguns from a safe, the group set fire to four buildings, including the sanctuary chief’s residence, two staff houses, and the main office. The assailants also stole personal belongings, including mobile phones, a gold amulet necklace, and a 9mm pistol, before fleeing the scene.
Local residents and officials managed to extinguish the fire and rescue the hostages unharmed by around 8 p.m.
Maj. Gen. Chalermphon Khamkhiao, commander of the Narathiwat Task Force, called an emergency meeting and deployed specialized units, including K-9 teams and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) experts, to secure the area.
During the evidence-gathering process on Sunday morning, two explosions occurred at 10.00 a.m. and 11.03 a.m., believed to be from devices planted by the attackers. No injuries were reported from these blasts.
As of Monday morning, EOD teams have yet to fully clear the area, and both external personnel and forensic experts are prohibited from entering due to safety concerns.
He revealed that they have identified the likely perpetrators as a group led by Sukriman Kubaru, known to operate in Waeng District and neighboring areas of Narathiwat Province with an estimated 20-member force.
Authorities suspect the raid was carefully planned, with the entire operation lasting about 50 minutes. Investigators noted that the attackers did not aim to harm the staff, even instructing them to flee when given a signal.
This incident follows a history of similar attacks in Thailand’s southern provinces, including a major weapons heist in 2004 where over 400 firearms were stolen from an army camp in Narathiwat.
The investigation is ongoing as security forces continue to search for the suspects in the challenging mountainous terrain. (TNA)
