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| Southeast Asia |
| Top Thai terrorist confirmed dead in gun battle |
| 2011-05-22 |
| A key Ma-ae Aphibalbae, 34, was among four The security operation began about 6:30 a.m. after police received a report that a number of Ma-ae had been on the police's wanted list for several high-profile killings in Yala since August 2006, when he was identified as a primary suspect in the murder of Col Sutthisak Prasertsi, a Yala special task force commander. In October 2007, Ma-ae was suspected of being involved in a passenger van shooting in which eight people were killed. He was also wanted in connection with a bomb attack that killed 11 military rangers on a pickup on a local road in May 2007. On March 12 last year, he is thought to have led a bomb attack on a pickup truck in which Pol Col Sompien was killed. Pol Col Sompien made headlines when he filed a complaint with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva last year, after his transfer request to leave the southern region after 42 years in service there was ignored because he had no political backing. He was killed a month later. The other militants killed were identified as Azae Hulu, 31, a key member of the Runda Kumpulan Kecil insurgent group; Mazobri Azu, 31, a close aide of Azae; and Mustopa Naelulae, who had eight outstanding arrest warrants. Meanwhile, in Narathiwat, a motorcycle bomb and car bomb exploded within moments of each other yesterday morning. The blasts injured 22 people, including a police officer, five of them seriously. The motorbike bomb exploded first at about 10:20 a.m. and the car bomb, sitting 30 meters away, detonated about nine minutes later. Two suspects have been detained following the blasts. Retaliation feared in Yala province Security is being stepped up in Yala province to guard against retaliatory attacks after forces killed four insurgents in a raid on Friday. Preecha Chan-ocha, commander of the special task force in Yala, said that he had instructed military officers in all of the province's districts to be on high alert and to beef up security for teachers and Buddhist communities across southern Thailand. Madari Mula, the assistant village leader in Ban Charohpae, where the suspected Mr Madari is being detained at the Police Operations Centre for the Southern Border Provinces in Yala's Muang district. Mr Grisada said security officers and administrators in Yala have begun taking proactive action by trying to convince suspected insurgents to surrender to security officers through their family members. |
| Posted by:ryuge |