[Bangkok Post] Three rangers were seriously hurt after assailants hiding along the roadside next to a rubber plantation opened fire in Narathiwat province on Saturday afternoon. The ambush occurred in Sri Sakhon district when the pickup truck carrying the three rangers arrived at the spot. An unknown number of gunmen opened fire with M16 rifles at the vehicle. Bullets hit cooking gas cylinders in the rear of the truck, causing a fire that engulfed the vehicle.
The three rangers immediately got out of the vehicle and returned fire. After the exchange of gunfire, the attackers fled. Police spokesman Singha Wasanhirankit said the three rangers sustained serious gunshot injuries.
When police and soldiers arrived to inspect the scene, the officers found the pickup truck, loaded with food supplies and the cooking gas cylinders, engulfed in flames. Fire trucks and firemen were called in to put out the fire.
A police investigation found that the rangers had gone to buy food supplies at a market before going to their outpost in Chanae district. On the way to their outpost, they were attacked.
Authorities blamed southern insurgents for the attack.
This attack followed several bombings and shooting on Friday night. Four people were wounded in a series of bomb blasts and a shooting attack at eight locations, including a security outpost, in four districts of Narathiwat province on Friday night.
In the first location, an unknown number of armed men opened fire on
a security outpost in Rangae district. This prompted defense volunteers to return fire. As both sides exchanged fire, another group of assailants cut a roadside tree on a way to the outpost with metal spikes scattered over the road to prevent assistance from entering the area to help those inside. After firing into the outpost for more than 30 minutes, the attackers decided to flee to a nearby forest.
Shortly later, bombs targeting power poles went off at seven locations in Chanae, Sri Sakhon and Tak Bai districts. In Sri Sakhon district, two bombs went off at different locations, injuring four villagers.