Suspected insurgent shot dead by police in southern Thailand

Thai police shot dead a suspected insurgent at a house in Pattani province, southern Thailand, yesterday at 4:30am. The suspect tried to escape the house by climbing out of the window and allegedly fired shots at police who shot back in self-defence. The deceased allegedly had a role in the 2019 Bangkok bombings.

Police received information that a wanted, suspected insurgent was hiding at a one-story house in Mueang district. Police closed in on the house at around 4am and asked him to surrender.

At 4:30am, 30 year old Mayaki Malaching, a native of Saiburi district in Pattani province, climbed out of the window and allegedly fired shots at police. Police fired back, instantly killing him.

Mayaki was wanted on five arrest warrants for his alleged role in the Bangkok bombings of August 2019. On August 2, 2019, a series of small bombs detonated in five locations in Bangkok, injuring seven people. The attack occurred while Bangkok was hosting an ASEAN summit.

After police shot dead Mayaki, they called for anyone else in the house to come out and surrender. Police put down their weapons when a middle aged woman and child walked out of the house. The woman told police she was the wife of the deceased.

Police found one 11mm caliber firearm and two pipe bombs inside the house, which were collected as evidence.

Police reported that Mayaki was a member of an insurgency group, but they did not specify which group. A clip has surfaced on YouTube of a group of men paying respects to Mayaki’s body. The clip says the men are members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or the BRN, but this claim is not substantiated with evidence.

SOURCE: Thai PBS