YALA (Thailand): Suspected insurgents, dressed like paramilitary rangers but with their faces covered, swooped in on four village protection units in Yala on Tuesday (July 9) night and made off with several shotguns and pistols.
The robberies in three districts of the southern border province prompted 4th Army Area commander, Lt-General Santi Sakuntanak, to order tightening of security in the province.
He also instructed his subordinates to work closely with police to try and locate the muggers.
The southern Army reported on Wednesday that the first incident took place at 8.30pm the night before, when some 10 armed men raided the security booth of Moo 7 village in Tambon Krong Pinang of Yala’s Krong Pinang district.
Here they made off with an Army shotgun and two pistols belonging to the two security guards in the village.
About an hour later, some eight men armed with assault rifles raided the security hut at Moo 9 village in Tambon Yaha of Yaha district at 9.30pm and made off with two Army shotgun and a pistol owned by a security guard at the village.
Then at about 10.30pm, another 17 armed men raided the home of the Moo 2 village chief in Tambon Lammai of Muang district and made off with an Army assigned shotgun.
Some 15 minutes later, 10 suspected insurgents swooped in on a defence unit of Moo 6 village in Muang Lamai, but failed to secure any weapons because the security volunteers successfully drove them away with gunfire.
Sources from the Army intelligence agency revealed that the raids may have been held to retaliate against the authorities for conducting crackdowns and arresting several insurgency suspects for interrogation.
The intelligence agency suspects that the robbers belong to an insurgency group led by Masanusi Luabanah, 47.
The source said the authorities have received information that the group plans to step up attacks against the authorities this month. - The Nation/ANN
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