A paramilitary ranger was killed and two more were seriously injured when heavily armed southern insurgents launched a surprise attack on their road checkpoint, in Ra-ngae district of Thailand’s southern border province of Narathiwat today (Monday).
About 10 insurgents split into two groups and approached the checkpoint under cover of thick forest, behind a paramilitary outpost in Ban Samore in Bor Ngor sub-district. The checkpoint was being manned by six paramilitary rangers and defence volunteers at the time, led by Lance Corporal Aekkachai Mukeb.
The insurgents opened fire at the checkpoint with M16 and AK47 assault rifles from two directions. Rangers in the outpost shot back in support of the besieged men.
The fierce firefight lasted less than half an hour, before the insurgents made good their retreat back into the forest. Aekkachai was found dead at the checkpoint and two volunteers sustained serious injuries.
Reinforcements subsequently arrived at the scene and scoured the area around the outpost, where they found many spent shells. Two teams of rangers pursued the escaping insurgents and two more were sent to search houses in two villages suspected of sheltering them.
