A paramilitary ranger sustained serious injury after he was stabbed by a man who tried, unsuccessfully, to seize his service rifle, and who was quickly subdued by another ranger.

The incident took place Thursday afternoon near Ban Suwo defence outpost in Tambon Bareh Tai of Bacho district in the southern border province of Narathiwat.

It was reported that the assailant, identified later as Manso Harwae and whom authorities suspect was under the influence of drugs, had been hiding near the outpost and, upon seeing the ranger, Somsak Decha, alighted from a motorcycle and attacked him from behind with a folding knife.

Somsak reportedly fell to the ground with a serious knife wound to the back of his head while the assailant tried to grab his rifle. Another ranger, who was standing nearby, intervened and struck the assailant with his rifle butt.

The assailant fell unconscious and is reported to have died shortly afterward, while the injured ranger was rushed to the provincial hospital for emergency treatment, before being flown to the better equipped Songkhla Nakarind Hospital in Hat Yai district.

A background check on the assailant indicates that he was the brother of a suspected insurgent wanted by authorities for alleged involvement in violent incidents in the Deep South.

All security officials have been alerted not to travel alone, as a precaution against surprise attack by insurgents, following Tuesday night’s attack on a defence volunteer outpost in Yala province, where 15 volunteers were killed and several other people were injured.