Gunmen attack soldiers aiding flood relief in Narathiwat
A tragic attack unfolded in Narathiwat, Thailand, yesterday, when gunmen ambushed military personnel repairing flood-damaged homes. The assailants, using M16 rifles, left one soldier dead and two others injured before fleeing on motorcycles.
Police were alerted when Narawi Binwaearong, a local police officer, received reports of the violent incident involving paramilitary soldiers from the 4908th Ranger Company. The attack occurred at the bridge connecting Ban Manang Kayang and Ban Pari in the Chanae district.
Upon arrival at the scene, officials discovered a black pickup truck with sandbags in the back and bloodstains nearby. Ten spent M16 shell casings were found along the roadside, which were collected as evidence.
The injured soldiers were quickly transported to Chanae Hospital. The victims, Wuttichai Thaipradit and Chakrapong Rittirutkul, suffered gunshot wounds to the right collarbone and a broken right arm, respectively.
Investigations revealed that before the incident, eight paramilitary soldiers were loading sandbags under the bridge to assist locals in repairing homes damaged by recent floods.
As they were working, four gunmen on two motorcycles opened fire on them using M16 rifles before making a hasty escape, reported KhaoSod.
By the evening yesterday, it was reported that Wuttichai had succumbed to his injuries at Yala Central Hospital. A funeral service is planned for tomorrow, December 14 at Suwannakorn Temple in Bo Thong, Nong Chik district, Pattani.
In related news, gunfire erupted in Bannang Sata as armed assailants ambushed paramilitary rangers, leaving one officer injured in a rubber plantation near a local community and school. The incident unfolded in the afternoon, sparking an immediate response from police.
The confrontation occurred at 3pm on November 13, when an unidentified group launched an assault on a unit of paramilitary rangers from Ranger Company 4110.
The rangers were conducting a patrol operation following a tactical plan. The attack took place in a rubber plantation located behind the Ban Bajoh School in Moo 1, Ubae Village, Bajoh subdistrict, Bannang Sata district, Yala province.
