Militants mount revenge attacks
At least four Thai Buddhists were killed and scores injured, one seriously, in four pre-mediated gun attacks on November 1-3 by suspected southern militants in what security sources suspected to be a renewed attempt to drive a wedge between Thai Buddhists and Malay Muslims in the restive Deep South.
The first fatal attack took place on November 1 in Ban Nong Sarai, Tambon ThaMuang of Songkhla’s Thepa district. Riding on two motorcycles, the two pillion riders opened fire with M16 assault rifles at a group of villagers getting together for a chit-chat in front of a grocery’s store. Three of the group, including a girl, were killed at the scene. Eight others were injured.
Police suspected that the attackers were militants as all the villagers were Thai Buddhists.
A few leaflets were later found in the village with a short message expressing apology for mistaken shooting. Police suspected that the shooting could be a revenge against the fatal shooting of a pick-up in Bacho district of Narathiwat on October 23 by troops manning a roadblock. One 10-year old Muslim girl was shot dead and her father, the truck driver, was injured.
After the mistaken shooting, the military and local administration officials immediately offered help to the family and apologized for the incident claiming that it was an operational mistake.
The second attack occurred in Narathiwat’sMuang district on November 2. Four female students of Narathiwatratchanakarin University rode two motorcycles on a local road heading toward their hostel. Then one motorcycle approached them from behind and the pillion rider fired one shot at the back of the head of Ms Suthida Tangjai and sped away.
Police suspected that the shooter targeted MsSuthida because she was the only Buddhist among the group. Police added that the victim’s father who was a defence volunteer was killed by suspected militants eight years ago in Narathiwat.
Two hours afterward on the same day, suspected militants ridingon a pick-up truck opened fire with assault rifles at a pavillion in front of a house in Tambon Nanark, TakBai district as a group of villagers were dining. The attack left one woman, Ms Somporn Paleepote, dead and five others injured.
The third incident took place on November 3 in Pattani’s Muang district. Gunmen believed to be militants opened fire from a pickup truck at another truck carrying the kamnan of Tambon Klong Maning, killing and injuring an unknown number of people.
Mrs AsruhaSanee, mother of the Muslim girl mistakenly killed by security forces, she didn’t want any group to use her daughter’s death as an excuse to take revenge on innocent people.
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Caption : The funeral of Thai Buddhists villagers who were killed at Tambon ThaMuang of Songkhla’s Thepa district