Good intelligence and cooperation help fend off attack

Good intelligence and cooperation from the locals are two key elements for the success of the Marines in the defence of their jungle base in Bacho district of Narathiwat against Islamist attackers on February 13.

          At least 16 insurgents were shot dead and their bodies were found scattering in the camp’s perimeter.  Several war weapons were also seized from the insurgents.

          Thanks to a tipoff from the locals about the movement of a small group of insurgents led by Marosor Chantharavadee at a cemetery in Ban Kaelae, Bacho district, a Marine unit was dispatched to the scene and clashed with the insurgents on February 4.  The insurgents escaped but left behind some ammunition, food supplies, mobile phones and a sketch of the Marine base in Ban Yuelor.

          A second sketch of the Marine camp plus some information of the camp was found in the body of an insurgent, Suhaidee Tahae, killed by security forces in a clash in Sai Buri district of Pattani on February 9.

          The two seized sketches convinced the camp commander to suspect that the camp was targeted for an imminent attack but when exactly was not known at the time.  But as a precaution, security was quietly beefed up without the notice of the locals with a special force unit being brought in.

          At about 1 a.m. of February 13, insurgents, led by Marosor, arrived near the camp in three pick-up trucks and two motorcycles.  All the insurgents, numbering about 90 by latest estimate, wore army uniforms with bullet-proof vests and white scarfs.  Splitting in two groups with the advance group started the attack with hand grenades and assault rifles.

          The well-entrenched Marines who were already alerted in advance fought back and engaged in a fierce firefight which lasted about an hour.  The surviving insurgents retreated but not after they had cut down trees and placed spikes on the road in front of the camp to delay the pursuit of the security forces.

          A subsequent search of the camp’s perimeter found 14 bodies of the insurgents.  Two more bodies were found on the road not far away from the camp reportedly shot dead by Marines positioned at the spot to block the fleeing insurgents.

          Three suspects were arrested in a pick-up truck in Rueso district after bloodstain was found in the car’s door.  The suspects claimed that they had no idea where the bloodstain came from.  However, they were detained for interrogation anyway.

          Weapons seized from the insurgents include five M4 rifles, four M16 assault rifles, two AK47 assault rifles, two AK102 assault rifles, three handguns, three hand grenades and three bombs stuffed in cans.

          Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre Secretary-General Thawee Sodsong said that the government had promised help for two groups of people – villagers whose houses were damaged during the firefight and families of the dead insurgents.

          He said that families of the dead victims would not be given compensation but would be given other forms of assistance for humanity sake because they had nothing to do with the illegal activities of the insurgents.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caption : A piece of sketch of the Marine base in Ban Yuelor in Bacho district of Narathiwat.