Teashop sprayed with bullets; school in Pattani

Insurgents gunned down six people, including two teachers and a baby, and injured many others in the deep South yesterday.

In Narathiwat's Rangae district, insurgents travelling on the back of a pickup fired bullets into a crowded teashop, killing four, including a 11-month-old baby, and seriously wounding three others.

The baby was identified as Ephani Samoh. Other victims were Nisba Musoh, 25, Pangor Nimae, 79, and Sohbree Loh, 23.

The four injured were 10-month-old Muhammad Yaena, Tuanma Tingee, 61, and Zitirohhima Mama, 70, and Haneezi Jedoh, 23, who was discharged from hospital shortly after.

Piyawat Mong, owner of the house used as a teashop, said a pickup with three men in the back stopped outside while his wife Kamera Mama was selling food and beverages at about 7am.

The gunmen sprayed bullets around the teashop - usually crowded at that time - then sped away. Police found cartridges from assault rifles including an M-16 and AK-47.

Col Chalermchai Suthinuan, a ranger commander in Narathiwat, said eight insurgents had been involved in the attack at the teashop. He said they were members of a network of Amrun Ming, Ahama Samae and Abdulhakim Puta, that has been active in the area.

Arrest warrants have been issued for their alleged involvement in many attacks in the region.

Later, in Pattani's Ma-Yor, insurgents raided Baan Bangor School and opened fire at teachers while they were having lunch, killing school director Tatiyarat Chueykaew and teacher Somsak Kwanma.

The insurgents, who were wearing camouflage gear, also made off with a teacher's pickup.

The two killings took the number of slain educational personnel to 157.

Within the past 12 days, three teachers have been attacked. Two have died and the other was wounded.

The violence took place on a day that schools in Narathiwat resumed classes after suspending them for more than two weeks in protest at the government's failure to provide security for educational personnel and students.

A temporary closure was called late last month following the death of Nuntana Kaewchan, 51, director of a school in Nong Chik in Pattani on November 23.

She was gunned down 100 metres from her school by two men hiding near a school fence as she drove to the funeral of a police officer.

After negotiating with the government, teachers' associations and federations agreed to resume the classes on Tuesday. Some 300 schools re-opened yesterday amid tighter security, which failed to deter the latest attack.

Latest stories in this category

• Wage hike measures to be proposed


• The Labour Ministry will propose that the..


• Thai students drop in world maths and science..


• Insurer agrees to pay Bt350,000

We Recommend

• Someone faraway pushed for murder charges, Sathit says


• Democrat MP claims Tarit jumping to a specific..


• Djokovic and Serena Williams are irresistible


• 'Government to blame' for poor graft ranking

Comments conditions

Users are solely responsible for their comments.We reserve the right to remove any comment and revoke posting rights for any reason withou prior notice.

Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2012/12/12/teashop-sprayed-with-bullets-school-in-pattani/