NARATHIWAT: Two volunteer rangers were wounded in an ambush by suspected insurgents at a school in Tak Bai district late Friday night.
The attack occurred at a building inside Ban Taliang School in tambon Koh Saton, said Pol Capt Nima-arming Watae, deputy investigation chief at Tak Bai police station, who received the report at 11.05pm on Friday.
While members of a ranger patrol team were resting in the building, they were ambushed by assailants who fired several shots at them.
Two volunteers -- Thawat Nasopha, 28, and Waema-asaree Trakulsoranakhom, 28 -- sustained gunshot wounds.
Police were not sent to investigate the scene at night for fear that insurgents might have set a trap to lure them to the area and open fire. Such incidents are frequent in the violence-plagued border provinces. The route to the scene of the attack is also isolated, with dense bushes along both sides of the road.
Pol Lt Col Thaweesak Sawatraksa, deputy superintendent for crime suppression at the Tak Bai police station, led a team of police, bomb disposal and forensic officers and soldiers to inspect the area on Saturday morning. They found some spent M16 cartridges scattered over the area.
Investigators said the ranger team was attacked after conducting a night patrol at Taliang village. At least six attackers had hidden behind a wall about 30 metres away from the school building and opened fire at patrol members as they rested.
Police blamed southern insurgents wanting to target security officers for the attack.
Forensic officers gather evidence at the scene of the attack at a school in Tak Bai district. (Photo by Waedao Harai)
Police markers identify some spent cartridges found scattered in the area. (Photo by Waedao Harai)