Insurgent leader, young son killed

Insurgent leader, young son killed

Father wanted by cops for numerous crimes

Security authorities believe the brutal killings of a leading insurgent member and his six-year-old son in Yala on Thursday might stem from a conflict among insurgents.

Mukta Arleemama, 31, and his son Lukman Apibarnbae, 6, were travelling on a motorcycle home when an unknown number of armed men fired shots at them in tambon Bacho of Yala's Bannang Sata district at about 7pm on Thursday.

Mukta was killed on the spot, while his son sustained serious gunshot wounds and was later pronounced dead at Bannang Sata Hospital.

Pol Col Sukhon Sri-aroon, Yala police chief, said Mukta was an operational-level insurgent leader in Bannang Sata district and was wanted on six arrest warrants for a string of crimes.

Mukta was believed to be responsible for a gun attack on an outpost of military rangers in Bannang Sata district in 2007 in which one ranger was killed, the robbery of rangers in 2007 in which six AK-47 rifles were stolen and the killing of Pol Capt Thoranit ''Capt Kaen'' Srisook who was shot in tambon Khuen Banglang on Sept 29, 2007.

A preliminary investigation found that the attack on Mukta might stem from an internal conflict among insurgents, said Pol Col Sukhon. He insisted that Thursday's attack was not the work of security officers.

The Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) yesterday ordered a fact-finding probe into the attack and asked officers to clearly state the facts about the incident among relatives of the victims to prevent insurgents from distorting what happened.

Fourth Army commander Walit Rajanapakdi was worried that insurgents might take this opportunity to blame state officers, said Col Pramote.

In Pattani, a local administrative leader was gunned down in front of a local mosque in Nong Chik district on Thursday night.

A combined team of local police, forensic officers and a police bomb disposal unit yesterday inspected Ba-ngo Nako mosque in tambon Kholotanyong in Nong Chik district and found a trace of blood and two spent bullets

Witnesses told police that two men had entered the mosque where many Muslim residents were performing prayers at 7.30 pm. The two men then forcibly took Adisak Latae, 53, chairman of Kholotanyong tambon administration organisation (TAO) from the mosque. One of them pulled out a pistol and fired shots at Adisak's head in the presence of many residents before fleeing on two waiting motorcycles.

Police said the victim was elected TAO chairman six months ago. Adisak, who was also a contractor, had earlier survived two gun attacks.

Before entering local politics, the victim was wanted under the emergency decree currently imposed in the deep South.

Police were investigating the cause of the attack.

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