PUBLISHED : 11 Jan 2024 at 11:08
YALA: Authorities were hunting down a group of armed men who opened fire at a pickup truck carrying border patrol police in Bannang Sata district of this southern border province on Wednesday afternoon causing panic among residents who fled the scene. The attack left two officers seriously wounded.
The shooting took place in front of a grocery store at Buesu village in Bannang Sata, said police who were reported about 3.15pm on Wednesday.
The targeted attack on border patrol officers occurred shortly after their pickup truck had been parked outside the store for the officers to make purchases.
Pol Cpl Thanakit Jaihao was shot in the right ear, while bullets struck Pol Cpl Watchara Mayachieo in the right shoulder and left arm. The injured officers were sent to Bannang Sata Hospital.
On Thursday, police obtained footage of security camera that showed a group of four armed men opening fire at border patrol police after the officers’ vehicle had been parked.
The CCTV footage showed the gunmen rushing towards a local resident’s parked pickup truck and launching an attack on the border patrol police’s vehicle in front of the store. The officers used another pickup truck parked in front of the store as a bunker and returned fire. After the brief gunfight, the assailants fled on two motorcycles. During the attack, vendors and local residents fled in panic.
Police said they were hunting down the four armed men. The officers believed the attackers might be members of insurgent groups wanting to create southern unrest.
Four armed men riding two motorcycles sprayed bullets at a pickup truck of border patrol police. Following the clash, the attackers fled on two motorcycles. (Photo: Abdullah Benjakat)