NARATHIWAT: A volunteer was killed during an attack at a military base and a suspected militant were shot dead in a subsequent clash in tambon Rom Sai, Sukhirin district, on Sunday, according to officials.
A number of men armed with war weapons and M79 granade launchers attacked the operation base of tambon Rom Sai's protection unit at 11.50am on Sunday, Col Watcharakorn Oanngern, deputy spokesman of the forward unit of the Internal Security Operations Command's Fourth Region, told a briefing on Monday.
At the time of the attack, a team of volunteers were manning the base. They fought back and after the clash Anuwat Kordeh, 34, was killed.
Seven other volunteers were also injured. Five of them were sent to Sukhirin Hospital and the rest to Sungai Kolok Hospital.
Air and land patrol was later launched to round up the perpetrators, resulting in a series of clashes, said Col Watcharakorn.
"We found blood traces at a scene on the hill behind the base. A hundred metres from there, we found two perpertrators who fired at security officials and a gun exchange ensued. After the gunfire ended, one of the men, Abdulhadi Abudao, 29, was killed. He had two warrants on him. The other man fled and took the dead man's gun," he said.
As of noon on Monday, officials still surrounded the hill and patrolled the routes the fugutive might take. They warned people not to enter the area near the hill.
Col Watcharakorn said authorities believe the attack was orchestrated by a militant group led by Sorlae Maseng, which is active in the district.