PATTANI, Dec 22 – Two defence volunteers were shot dead and 27 government employees and civilians were wounded in series of attacks at military and police posts, and shootings in Pattani and Yala on Wednesday.
In Pattani, two gunmen fired at Sujinda Saeseng, 40, in front of her home in Mayo municipality. She was severely wounded and rushed to hospital. Later, when police inspected the scene, a bomb hidden in a flower pot was triggered by a cell phone, wounding injured ten police officers, five soldiers, four defence volunteers and three civilians.
In Pattani’s Kapho district, two defence volunteers were shot dead by an unknown number of gunmen while riding a motorcycle home.
An M79 attack was reported at a marine outpost in Sai Buri district. No one was wounded or killed in the incident.
In Yala, four attackers fired M79 grenades at Lammai police station in Yala before firing M16 assault rifles. A similar attack was reported at a military outpost in Bannang Sata district and a border patrol police outpost in Than To district. Four civilians were severely wounded.
Intelligence agency said that three incidents are linked and coordinated by Masae Useng. The agency warned local security officials to be on alert and to set up checkpoints on roads to prevent untoward incidents ahead of the New Year celebrations.
Regarding the attack at the police station in Lammai district, investigators initially believe Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) insurgent head Ahmad Tuenga and Sasa Dara, active in four sub-districts in Yala provincial seat, planned the attacks.
Both men were earlier involved in killing an army ranger, bombing, and attacking Si Sakhon police station in Narathiwat. Joint police and military patrols are searching areas where the attackers might be seeking shelter.
