Two wanted for deadly South attack

Two wanted for deadly South attack

Probe progress after DNA traces matched

Security officials at the attacked defence checkpoint in Muang district of Yala province on Wednesday morning. (Photo by Abdullah Benjakat)
Security officials at the attacked defence checkpoint in Muang district of Yala province on Wednesday morning. (Photo by Abdullah Benjakat)

Police are seeking arrest warrants for two suspects whose DNA samples were found at the scene of last Tuesday's massacre at a security checkpoint in Yala's Muang district, which killed 15 and injured five others.

The suspects are Saudi Ting-useng whose blood was found at the attack scene and Natsarulo Sama whose DNA was also found there, said Pol Lt Gen Ronnasin Phusara, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, on Monday.

Both suspects already face a number of arrest warrants over their alleged involvements in previous insurgent attacks including an attack on a security checkpoint in Yala's Krong Pinang district in 2017, which killed 12 people, and the bombing and arson attacks on the Provincial Electricity Authority's regional office in Kabang district of Yala last year.

Further blood samples were collected which belong to three other suspects who police are trying to identify, said Pol Lt Gen Ronnasin.

As for the six people detained after multiple raids in Yala and neighbouring Pattani on Saturday, he said, they were still being questioned at the Inkhayutthaborihan military camp in Pattani's Nong Chik district.

In related news, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon revealed that His Majesty the King has had some gifts sent to families who lost loved ones in last Tuesday's attack as a way of offering moral support to them.

Personally, Gen Prawit said he was deeply saddened by the losses of the defence volunteers who were all villagers.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda to ensure necessary assistance is promptly provided to all affected families, said Gen Prawit.

In another development, an academic has voiced concern over the latest threat by the Internal Security Operations Command to impose a curfew in eight districts of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla.

Asst Prof Srisompob Jitpiromsri, director of the Centre for Conflict Studies and Cultural Diversity (CSCD) of Prince of Songkla University, said any new curfew in the deep South will do more harm than good.

"To impose a curfew in the region again will result in a massive negative psychological effect on the affected areas as it would be tantamount to formally admitting that the security situation in the South is worsening," he said.

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