Army confirms four insurgents killed on Friday were on wanted list
YALA, May 21 -- All four of the suspected insurgents who were killed during a shootout with combined government forces in the troubled southern province of Yala on Friday were on polices wanted list and responsible for several killings in the past, including the murder of a former police chief who was highly respected by people in the province, a senior army officer said.
Maj Gen Preecha Chanocha, commissioner of Yala special task force unit, told a press conference that yesterdays shootout in Yalas Than To district came after a tip that suspected insurgents were hiding at a house in the village there. Combined government forces then surrounded the house at which time the insurgents opened fire on them first, prompting the government forces to return fire.
Both sides exchanged gunfire for about 10 minutes, Gen Preecha said. Security unit later seized two AK-47 rifles, a pistol and nine cell phones from the four bodies, who were believed to be at the command level and involved in several attacks and assassinations of several senior government officials, including a bomb attack and killing of Bannang Sata police chief Col Sompian Eksomya on March 12, 2010.
One of the four killed militants was identified as Ma-ae Aphibalbae, said Gen. Preecha. Police had earlier issued 28 arrest warrants for them.
Security officials in the region have been asked to be on high alert as fears are looming that insurgents would step up attacks as revenge for the four men who were killed yesterday, he added.
More than 4,000 people have been killed in the three restive southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat since renewed violence erupted in January 2004. (MCOT online news)
Maj Gen Preecha Chanocha, commissioner of Yala special task force unit, told a press conference that yesterdays shootout in Yalas Than To district came after a tip that suspected insurgents were hiding at a house in the village there. Combined government forces then surrounded the house at which time the insurgents opened fire on them first, prompting the government forces to return fire.
Both sides exchanged gunfire for about 10 minutes, Gen Preecha said. Security unit later seized two AK-47 rifles, a pistol and nine cell phones from the four bodies, who were believed to be at the command level and involved in several attacks and assassinations of several senior government officials, including a bomb attack and killing of Bannang Sata police chief Col Sompian Eksomya on March 12, 2010.
One of the four killed militants was identified as Ma-ae Aphibalbae, said Gen. Preecha. Police had earlier issued 28 arrest warrants for them.
Security officials in the region have been asked to be on high alert as fears are looming that insurgents would step up attacks as revenge for the four men who were killed yesterday, he added.
More than 4,000 people have been killed in the three restive southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat since renewed violence erupted in January 2004. (MCOT online news)
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