Six rangers injured in roadside bomb in Narathiwat

NARATHIWAT: -- Six paramilitary rangers were injured on Thursday as a pickup truck in which they were travelling in Waeng district of Narathiwat was hit by a roadside bomb.

Waeng district police said suspected militants planted a 20-kg home-made bomb made of LPG cylinder connected to the detonator with a cable about 100 metres long. Then they waited in the bushes for passing vehicles carrying members of the security force.

The pick-up truck carrying six paramilitary rangers, including the driver, on their way back to base passed through the spot where the militants laid in wait for an ambush.

One of them detonated the bomb throwing shrapnels injuring all the rangers and punching holes in the vehicle. The concrete power pole was also badly damaged.

Reinforcements later arrived at the scene to rush the injured to the district hospital. Two seriously injured were later moved to Su-ngai Kolok hospital.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/six-rangers-injured-in-roadside-bomb-in-narathiwat


-- Thai PBS 2015-11-20

Patrolling in pickups. Should be called 'The Expendables'.

"A paramilitary is a semi-militarized force whose organizational structure, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, and which is not included as part of a state's formal armed forces"

aka vigilanties

I doubt they are very respected by the Malay-Thais. They typically have unfetered and unaccountable access to Thai military supply amories. They operate outside of the military chain of command and don't seem to be even accountable to the military. Essentially the Thai military appears to use them as "cannon fodder" rather than risk costly, highly trained military armed forces.

Terrorism????