Fatal shootouts reported in Narathiwat and Pattani provinces

Security forces and suspected insurgents were involved in two separate fatal shooting incidents in southern Thailand.

In Narathiwat's Si Sakhon District, a 51-year-old police officer and three men suspected to be members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) were killed during a confrontation in Kampung Tengor. The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time while security personnel were conducting a patrol and investigating a suspicious house. Two rangers sustained gunshot wounds to their waist and back and were evacuated by helicopter to Narathiwat Hospital.

In Pattani's Talok Kraithong sub-district, a 54-year-old volunteer defense corps member, Rusli Uma, was killed in an ambush while traveling to perform Friday prayers. An armed group hiding in a forested area opened fire on the victim and his colleague. During the exchange of gunfire, one attacker, identified as 36-year-old Muhammad Bila Kama, was shot in the head and died while receiving treatment. The victim's colleague was seriously injured and remains hospitalized. Preliminary investigations indicate the attackers seized a .38 caliber pistol before fleeing the scene.