Father and son Border Patrol Police killed in Narathiwat attack
A tragic incident occurred in Narathiwat yesterday when two Border Patrol Police officers, a father and son, were killed in an attack involving an explosive device and subsequent gunfire. This violent event took place on the Sri Sakhon-Lubo Yuering Road near Ban Ai Kue Tae in Si Banphot subdistrict.
Police Colonel Phakawat Wansanuk, head of Sri Sakhon Police Station, and Colonel Patsavee Pochada, commander of the 49th Ranger Task Force, were informed of the attack at 9.50am, yesterday, January 14.
The perpetrators had set off an explosive device, reportedly made from a 20 kilogramme gas cylinder, targeting the officers’ pickup truck.
The explosion was followed by gunfire, leading to the deaths of 56 year old Police Lieutenant Colonel Suwit Chuaythewarit and his 35 year old son, Police Sergeant Major Dome Chuaythewarit. Their vehicle was severely damaged, and the scene drew a response from bomb disposal teams and forensic officers.
At the scene, the pickup truck was found overturned in the middle of the road, with significant damage to its underside. Near the rear of the vehicle lay the body of Suwit, wearing a purple t-shirt, with a gunshot wound to the head and injuries from shrapnel.
In front of the truck’s bonnet, Dome, dressed in a black t-shirt, was also found with a similar gunshot wound. Locals had already transported the bodies to Sri Sakhon Hospital before the arrival of police.
Approximately 20 metres from the truck, officials discovered a tunnel under the road, measuring 1 metre deep and 2 metres wide. Within this tunnel, wires were found leading into a dense forest, where remnants of the explosive device were scattered.
Roadside bomb
These were collected as evidence. Investigations revealed that Suwit, a school principal at the Border Patrol Police School in Tunga, and his son, an agriculture teacher, were heading to the Sri Sakhon market to purchase supplies for repairing a chicken coop.
They were ambushed by assailants using a battery to detonate the bomb as their truck passed, causing it to flip multiple times and eject the occupants.
The attackers, hiding in the forest, emerged to shoot both Suwit and Dome in the head with an M19 firearm, resulting in their immediate deaths. They also took Suwit’s 11mm pistol and Dome’s .357 calibre handgun before fleeing the scene, taking advantage of their familiarity with the area.
Residents who witnessed the aftermath helped transport the victims to the hospital.
Sergeant Major Yusron Mama, a colleague at the Border Patrol Police School, mentioned that Suwit had served in the area for over 20 years, initially at the Ban La-O School before transferring to the Tunga School. Suwit had been purchasing construction materials for a chicken coop he was building, reported KhaoSod.
Following the incident, the bodies of Suwit and Dome were airlifted by a police helicopter from the 49th Ranger Task Force, stationed at Wat Sri Sakhon, to be prepared for religious rites. The family plans to inter them at the Kubo Ban Na Wang cemetery in Khlong Sai Khao subdistrict, Kong Ra district, Phatthalung province.
Latest Thailand News
