Five paramilitary rangers were killed and six civilians, including two children, were injured after heavily armed gunmen attacked a security checkpoint in Thailand’s southern border province of Narathiwat on Wednesday evening.
According to the Region 4 Forward Command of the Internal Security Operations Command, six men dressed in black arrived in a black Nissan pickup truck and launched the assault on the Bukeh Sami checkpoint in Tanyong Mat, Rangae district, at about 6.45pm.
The attackers opened fire and threw pipe bombs before fleeing along Highway 4055 towards Dusongyor. Security forces later launched a manhunt for those responsible.
Five security personnel killed
Those killed were SM1 Theerayoot Somakerd and four volunteer rangers: Sakeereeya Jehna, Wimol Dapthong, Nathasit Kaeosena and Solahuding Pi.
Six civilians were also injured during the attack, including two children.
The latest violence came just one day after a car bomb exploded near a police station in Muang district, Narathiwat.
Peace efforts continue despite renewed violence
Region 4 Forward Command deputy spokesman Ekwarit Chobchupol condemned the assault, describing it as a “cruel and inhumane” attack carried out in a community area without regard for the safety of innocent civilians.
Violence has claimed an estimated 7,700 lives since the insurgency in Thailand’s three southern border provinces resurfaced in 2004.
Despite the continued attacks, the Thai government is seeking to revive the stalled peace process by renewing negotiations with the insurgent umbrella group Barisan Revolusi Nasional.
Thailand’s chief peace negotiator, Thanut Suvarnananda, has said the negotiating team will take into account the views of all groups affected by the long-running conflict.
