PATTANI: A lone gunman opened fire with a gun at a military checkpoint, wounding a soldier before being shot dead, in Muang district on Wednesday morning.
Police said a man on a motorcycle arrived at a checkpoint on a road in Ban Kuwing, Muang district, about 11am. He then pulled out a .38 pistol and began shooting.
The checkpoint was manned by soldiers from Pattani Task Force 25, led by M/Sgt 2nd Class Lersak Mud.
Pvt Kriangkrai Phetthongkhao, who was on duty at the road stop, was hit in the cheek by a bullet.
The soldiers at the checkpoint returned fire, killing the attacker on the spot.
Pvt Kriangkrai was later admitted to Pattani Hospital and was in a stable condition.
The dead gunman was later identified as Masaidi Waesulong, 31, who was on police record as a member of an insurgent group operating in Muang district of Pattani.
A police warrant for his arrest was approved by the Pattani Court on Jan 27, 2017.