Rangers ambushed on return from Pattani fair

 

The attack occurred about 50 minutes after midnight when 20 rangers returned from guarding the annual Pattani Red Cross Fair. They were travelling in a pickup and a six-wheel truck, heading to their base in Nong Chik district.

The two vehicles stopped at Don Rak intersection, and were waiting to turn onto the Pattani-Hat Yai highway, when insurgents detonated the bomb with a walkie-talkie. 

The insurgents, hiding in bushes by the road, then opened fire at the rangers and the two sides exchanged gunfire for about five minutes before the insurgents retreated. 

The two trucks were slightly damaged by bomb shrapnel. The 16 paramilitary rangers, 10 of whom were women, were slightly injured. They were sent to Pattani Hospital.

Security agencies had learnt earlier that insurgents would try to attack the Red Cross Fair, so they beefed up security at the event. Police believe insurgents changed their target to ambush security officials on the way back from the fair instead.

At 12.30am prior to the ranger attack, Pol Lance Corporal Waehasan Lenlae, 28, was driving his pick-up to work at Thung Yang Daeng police station when a group of gunmen opened fire at him. The policeman sustained a gunshot to his head and torso and was rushed to Central Yala Hospital. Police blamed insurgents for the attack.

Pattani deputy governor Lertkiat Wongphophan said yesterday that insurgents obviously planned the ranger attack well, as the scene of the attack was a spot where trucks must slow down and guns were also used in the ambush. With the fair running again today (May 15) and the school term starting this week officials would beef up security around the clock, he said.

Meanwhile, teachers in the Deep South called on authorities yesterday to tighten security.

Boonsom Thongsriplai, president of the Federation of Teachers in three Southern provinces, said most schools in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat would reopen on Thursday and many teachers had already returned to their schools to prepare for their classes.

“We have asked the security authorities to strengthen security measures for education personnel including teachers and students, as insurgents have increased attacks and the degree of violence has surged during recent months,” Boonsom said. 

Teachers in the far South should be careful and not negligent when travelling to and from school. The insurgents usually sought to instigate chaos during the opening of new semesters, with the aim of rocking the spirit of educational personnel, Boonsom said.

Meanwhile, Col Pramot Phrom-in, deputy spokesman of Region 4 of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), said Fourth Army chief Udomchai Thammasarorat stressed importance to security measures for education personnel during the new school term. 

Region 4 ISOC had instructed security officials in the Deep South provinces and four districts of Songkhla to prepare and rehearse measures to protect teachers, to boost people’s confidence during the new school term, Pramot said. 

“Teacher protection is among top priorities of the national security officials’ mission. As the latest, the special task force units set understandings with each area’s teachers to set a plan, guidelines of practice and prohibitions to keep everyone on the same page in regard to security, so it is believed these measures will be followed strictly,” Pramot said.