Yala firefight leaves 18 security volunteers wounded
THE NATION

YALA: -- SECURITY personnel are hunting for more than 20 suspected insurgents who launched a bloody attack on village security volunteers in Yala province early yesterday.

The incident injured 18 security volunteers, six of them seriously, at a checkpoint in Yaha district.

As of press time, seven of the victims had been discharged from hospital. "The attackers also made off with the volunteers' guns," said Colonel Pramote Phrom-in, spokes-man for the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command.

He said security officials were gathering evidence in an effort to bring the culprits to justice.

"We will also review and boost our security preparations," he said.

Yala is in Thailand's southernmost region, which has been plagued by unrest for about a decade.

According to police, the attack took place around 1am. "They fired grenade launchers first, then M16 machine-guns. It lasted for around 30 minutes," said Tanongsak Wang-supha, Yala police commander.

Pramote said a special ranger task force had been dispatched to help security volunteers during the firefight, making it possible to control the situation.

Tanongsak said: "The rebels want to reassert their power as now the villagers are cooperating with state authorities."

Tens of thousands of soldiers, police and paramilitaries enforce security across the impoverished South. The government also pays and arms thousands of village volunteers to provide their own security, especially in remote Muslim areas.

Deputy Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha had ordered relevant authorities to take the best care of the injured security volunteers.

"He is also sending moral support to officials working in the deep South," Sansern said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Yala-firefight-leaves-18-security-volunteers-wound-30265656.html

-- The Nation 2015-08-01

just hunt them all down and slaughter them ... stop these terrorists once and for all.

Didn't you say in another thread that the country was at peace?

Are you advocating the same thing the man in the sand did with regards to the war on drugs?

The gun fight lasted 30 mins? Don't they have any helicopters they could have sent in for air support and or to drop off some ground support?

They surely do have helicopters but, given the number of accidents they have, I wonder if they are capable of flying night missions. Also, I think it is too much to expect that they would be combat ready at 1 am... and even then they would have to find out which karaoke bars the pilots and their commanding officers were in.

However, I am sure that all in the region will feel more than comforted now that our dear leader sent them his moral support !!!

Why not ask the Americans and other countries fighting terrorism how hard it is to "just hunt them all down and slaughter them" as you say. You make it sound so easy.

The gun fight lasted 30 mins? Don't they have any helicopters they could have sent in for air support and or to drop off some ground support?

Sitting on the aircraft carrier.

Unless the Quick Reaction Force were airborne, nearby, had an already reconnoitered and secured landing zone, and had effective communications with the security volunteers involved in the firefight, then they would never be there in 30 minutes.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/18-volunteers-wounded-in-an-attack-by-suspected-militants

Well that's a very different story than the one given yesterday when it was said support waited until dawn because they feared an ambush. And strange that the insurgents managed to make off with all the guns too, you'd think at least one would have managed to hold onto to his weapon.

The RTA need to start deploying their Spec Ops units, instead of leaving it to volunteer Militias and Ranger units to bear the brunt of this civil war!!

It wouldn't hurt to deploy some ordinary (Light !) infantry battalions. There are enough of them watering golf courses up and down the country.

Why are volunteers doing the job of the military, bloody hell they have enough soldiers on the books but guess it's a rhetorical question being that the volunteers are probably more capable than the real army.

just hunt them all down and slaughter them ... stop these terrorists once and for all.

Don't you mean 'brave freedom fighters'?

"The government also pays and arms thousands of village volunteers to provide their own security, especially in remote Muslim areas." Maybe a source of supplies to the rebels? It`s never vice to arm a population, because some or all of this weapons will be used against you. I suggest the Thai junta sit down and think a little bit.