Security volunteer shot dead at father’s grave in Yala

A fatal shooting incident took a grim turn in Yala when a security volunteer was brutally assassinated while he was reading the Quran at his father’s grave. The 43 year old victim, Ruslee Daleng, was a ranger volunteer who received a fatal headshot at a Muslim graveyard situated in Tambon Than To of Yala’s Than To district.

The Than To police were alerted yesterday about the incident. Ruslee was on vacation, visiting his ailing father, who passed away on April 14. After attending his father’s funeral, Ruslee had been partaking in a religious service at the cemetery yesterday, where his father was laid to rest. The fatal shooting transpired later that morning.

In the course of the investigation, the police discovered a 9-millimetre cartridge at the scene. A manhunt is underway for the unidentified assailant, and the police are diligently working to ascertain if the homicide was linked to the ongoing unrest in the Deep South or if it stemmed from a personal vendetta.

In tandem with this event, enforcement agencies in the southern region, which include the Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) Region 4 and the Provincial Police Region 9, have taken into custody 10 drug peddlers from four distinct drug cartels. In the process, they managed to confiscate a total of 600 kilogrammes of meth pills and six firearms, with an estimated value nearing 4 million baht (US$109,000), reported Bangkok Post.

Given the current circumstances, the police are emphasising the necessity of stringent measures to combat the proliferation of drugs and weapons in the region. This vigilance is particularly crucial during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri religious holiday when illegal smuggling activities tend to escalate.

In related news, a group of armed men sparked terror in Yala‘s Bannang Sata district when they targeted a pickup truck carrying border patrol police officers. The terrifying incident, which occurred on January 10, resulted in two officers being seriously wounded and caused locals to flee the scene in panic.