PATTANI, Feb 1 – A defence volunteer was gunned down in this southern border province on his way back from sending his daughter to school on Wednesday morning.
Thanong Sinthu, 40 was en route to his military base when two gunmen on a motorcycle followed him and shot the defence volunteer three times in his back. He died at the scene. An investigation is underway to find if the shooting is related to the killing of four villagers in Nong Chik district on Jan 29.
An unknown number of assailants fired three M-79 grenades at a ranger base in Nong Chik district Sunday night. The rangers fired back, pursued the group and down the road found a suspicious pick-up truck.
The rangers challenged the men in the vehicle to identify themselves, but heard a gunshot in response as they approached. They then shot at the vehicle, which resulted in four men dead and five wounded.
The authorities are investigating the incident as the slain villagers were civilian, and had no relation to the insurgent groups.
In the nearby province of Yala, Governor Detrat Simsiri visited and gave moral support to five government personnel who were wounded in motorcycle bombing in the provincial seat on Tuesday evening.
The four victims were soldiers from Yala’s Task Force 11 and the fifth is an assistant to a village head.
The bomb was planted in a motorcycle parked beside Ban Niang-Lum Mai Road.
The victims were sent to hospital and the doctors said that all five were recovering.
Yala Task Forces 11 and 14 are collecting evidence and information on the bombers. The locations of the incidents are being searched by a combined force of police and military but no suspects have been apprehended.
