YALA, 11 July 2014 – Insurgents opened fire at a police pickup truck in Yala province late Thursday night as the officers were returning to work. Three officers were dead at the scene and one passerby was injured. The incident took place on a roadside in Sa-eh Subdistrict in Krong Pinang District.
Deputy Superintendent Police Colonel Adinant Ismaeel was among those under attack, who called for reinforcements while he and his subordinates were ambushed by a group of about ten 10 assailants who were lurking in a rubber plantation just on the side of the road.
Gun fires were exchanged for about ten minutes before the insurgents fled the scene. The police pickup truck, however, was riddled with bullets before it fell into a ditch on the side of the road.
Three officers were pronounced dead after the shootings, including the Police Colonel Adinan Ismaeel himself. The other two victims were identified as Police Second Lieutenant Danupol Asae and Police Lance Corporal Hama Sarado. One passerby was also wounded in the crossfire.
Investigations reveal that the three officers were on their way back from their evening prayers at a mosque near their village. When they returned, the insurgents opened fire at the officers. It is believed that the insurgents wanted to create a situation to instigate violence during the holy month of Ramadan.
