Police: Rangers shot at truck on hearing gunfire

Rangers returned fire into the truck, resulting in five deaths and three injuries. 

No casualties were on the official side, the police report said. 

An AK47 rifle and .45calibre pistol were found at the crime scene.

Police made the observation that there had been a grenade attack on a ranger unit before the patrol set out on Road 418 to hunt for the attackers. 

The patrol rangers believed the pickup on the road was carrying the attackers but in fact they were local Muslims on their way to evening prayer at a mosque nearby, according to relatives.

Officials gave hand signals to the vehicle to stop, but it was dark and the driver did not see the signs clearly. He parked and ran away when the rangers started shooting.

A primary check found that no name on the list of the dead and injured matched any on the records of suspected insurgents, the police report said.

It was possible the incident was due to a misunderstanding by the rangers, it said. They might have mistakenly believed the people in the pickup were those who had attacked the ranger unit and run away. The rangers might have been unduly wary after intelligence reports circulating that an insurgent group under the leadership of Masorle Dueramae would attack the ranger unit in Nong Chik.

Religious leaders in the area might exploit the incident as an excuse to call a protest in front of Inkayutthaborihan military camp in Pattani demanding justice for local people, the report said.