January 26, 2005

More deaths, injuries and rebel arson

POST REPORTERS

A policeman and his informant were shot and seriously wounded yesterday

morning by a motorcycle gunman in Narathiwat's Bacho district.

Pol Sgt Nukul Chairat, 34, of Bacho police station, had just picked up

Mada-oh Tanaemae, 46, from his house on his motorcycle when they were

attacked.

The gunman, wearing a crash-helmet, closed in and fired six shots at

Pol Sgt Nukul, who was riding pillion, and Mr Mada-oh. The policeman

returned fire as his motorcycle fell.

Pol Sgt Nukul was hit in the side. Mr Mada-oh was hit three times. They

were taken to Narathiwat Ratchanakharin hospital in Muang district.

On Monday evening, two attacks were reported in Narathiwat.

Sawai Sasisuk, 33, was wounded in the back and right arm in Tak Bai

district., and two men stormed into the house of Abdulloh Ahma, 25, in

Rueso district and shot and stabbed him to death.

Police blamed the attacks on insurgents.

A public telephone booth was torched in Yala's Raman district yesterday

morning, the 12th in less than a month.

Police searched the scene carefully, fearing a booby trap, but found

only a charred phone and shattered glass.

Earlier, a phone booth in Bannang Sata district was torched, luring

troops to the scene. Four soldiers were injured by an explosion.

TOT Corp said phone booth arson in Yala since Dec 31 had caused 500,000

baht damage. On Dec 31 alone, nine phone booths were burned.

The police force yesterday gave 350,000 baht aid to Somsong Wutthinant,

wife of Pol Snr Sgt-Maj Uthai Witthinant, a community relations officer

at Rangae who was shot dead while on duty on Monday.

Police said the investigation was making little progress because

witnesses were not cooperative.