Two Injured in Ambush Shooting in Rubber Plantation, Narathiwat

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture from responders.

 

Two men searching for forest products were ambushed and shot while riding a motorcycle through a rubber plantation in Rueso district, Narathiwat, on the night of 8th February.

 

At around 21:40, Rueso Hospital reported to local police that two individuals had arrived with gunshot wounds. Officers from Rueso Police Station, led by Police Colonel Supachai Supakitjarak, rushed to the hospital to investigate. The injured men were identified as cousins:

 

• Suchart Kaewmek, 32, the motorcycle rider, sustained a gunshot wound from an M16 rifle to the middle of his back.

 

• Sitthichok, 16, who was riding pillion, was struck twice in the back by bullets of the same calibre.

 

After initial treatment, both victims were transferred to Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Hospital for further medical care.

 

According to police investigations, the victims approached a village security checkpoint near To Nae Pa Mosque in Moo 6, Samakkhi subdistrict, seeking urgent help. They reported being ambushed by unidentified gunmen while riding along a forested road between Ban Mue Laeh and Ban To Nae Pa in Sao subdistrict.

 

Assistant village head Asree Lomae immediately contacted Rueso Hospital, which dispatched an ambulance to transport the injured men.

 

At 09:30 on 9th February, forensic teams and bomb disposal officers examined the scene, discovering three spent M16 shell casings hidden in dense undergrowth within the rubber plantation. The evidence was collected for further analysis.

 

Authorities suspect that the attack was carried out by members of an armed insurgent group. It is believed that the assailants may have targeted the victims under the suspicion that they were informants providing intelligence to security forces. The region has witnessed several similar attacks in the past, resulting in casualties among both security personnel and civilians.

 

Police have yet to interview the injured men as they are awaiting their recovery. Meanwhile, security measures in the area have been heightened to prevent further incidents.

 

-- 2025-02-10