Insurgents kill five rangers, injure 1

Five paramilitary rangers were killed and one seriously injured when a roadside bomb explodฌed in Pattani's Kapho district yesterฌday morning.

The men from the 44th Ranger Forces team were hit at around 11am by a 15kilogram bomb at tambon Karobe, while they were returning to the Joh Kapho base after going for a physical checkup at a local hospital.

SgtMajor 1st Class Cherdsak Thammamai, ranger volunteers Somsak Pajongram, Prakaisak Boonchom, Theerasan Jitjan and Maroseh Sadisarimmasae were killed immediately, while ranger volunteer Anan Rattana was seriously injured and is being treated at Pattani Hospital.

The insurgents set off the bomb using a battery linked to a detonator 70 metres away. The rangers' pickup truck was overturned by the impact of the blast, and as the rangers tried to crawl out they were shot and killed by at least five insurgents, who fled with the victims' weapons.

After the attack, LtColonel Niti Tinsulanonda, commander of the 44th Ranger Forces Regiment, brought troops to the site and surฌrounded the area looking for the culฌprits. Kapho district chief Charan Jantarapan also called on residents to provide information of suspicious perฌsons in the area, especially the KaphoRaman border area, which he believes is where the insurgents and their symฌpathisers lay low before launching an attack.

In Narathiwat's Bacho district, police yesterday inspected the almost completed structure at the Palukasamoh Police Station complex, which was reportedly bombed and then set ablaze by insurgents at 9pm on Wednesday. The investigation team discovered evidence of bombs having been planted near the entrance of what would have been detention rooms. Construction experts will be tasked with inspecting the structure to see if it can be repaired. The conฌstruction of the building was 80percent complete and was slated to be officially opened on October 1.

Police suspected that a group of four or five insurgents took advantage of the fact that the construction site was empty to plant a 20kg bomb. They had also left behind some clothes to set the structure ablaze but the fire died down before consuming the entire building.

Narathiwat Governor Thanon Vechakornkanont said he believed that insurgent sympathisers were behind the attack and meant to threatฌen the locals, challenge state power and curb the improving relations between the residents and the authorฌities.

In related news, academics yesterฌday voiced concern about the governฌment's plan to replace Panu Uthairat, secretarygeneral of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC), with Pol Colonel Thavee Sodsong, deputy permanent secretary of justice. They fear that this could affect attempts to ease the unrest in the South.

Yala Rajabhat University rector Assoc Prof Kraisorn Sritrairat said a suitable candidate will be someone who can spend a lot of time in the area, understands the local way of life, is determined to resolve problems and is accepted by the religious leaders and operative officials. He said the locals trusted Panu and his predecesฌsor Phranai Suwannarat, so if a new person had to be brought in the choice should be made carefully.

Yala Rajabhat University lecturer Abdullohsa WanAli urged the govฌernment to explain why this transfer had to take place and what the curฌrent SBPAC had done to deserve such action.

He said that people in Yala had seen evidence that Panu's work was good possibly because he had grown up in the South. He expressed concern about Thavee's approach and if he had enough knowledge about the culture and beliefs to gain trust and the "hearts and minds" of the locals.