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Defense volunteer brutally slain in southern Thailand
A defence volunteer has died after being repeatedly slashed about the head with a sharp object and his body dumped under a bridge in Narathiwat's Si Sakhon district, police say.

Officers were called in yesterday to examine the body of Wiranan Api, 29, a defence volunteer for Ban Sriwarin in Si Sakhon district. An initial investigation found Wiranan had left home on Tuesday by motorcycle to travel to a relative's home in the same district. Police believed he was attacked along the way by southern terrorists insurgents.

In Pattani's Yaring district, Salae Jehuseng, the head of Ban Takul in tambon Tatokapo, and his 15-year-old son Abduloh were shot and wounded about 7am yesterday, police said. An investigation found their motorcycle was followed by a car before they were shot by unidentified attackers.

On Tuesday night, Hawae Yuso, 36, an assistant village head in Khok Pho district, was also shot and wounded by terrorists suspected insurgents. His assailants followed him on a motorcycle before opening fire.

In Narathiwat, two brothers serving as territorial defence volunteers in Rueso district came under attack yesterday from gunmen hiding among trees by the roadside as they were riding past on their motorcycles. Bantao and Bancha Tosaeng returned fire after they came under attack, with the gunfight lasting about two minutes before the terrorists suspected insurgents fled. No one was hurt. The two were ordered by the district chief to inspect Ban Na Da after there were reports of an terrorist insurgent group entering the village to plan acts of violence during the Songkran festival, police said.

Security officers also clashed yesterday with terrorists suspected insurgents as they stood guard at a house belonging to a family of Buddhists in Ban Thammachot in Rueso district. Officers said they opened fire on an unidentified armed group after they attacked the house with weapons, including grenades. The house belongs to the sole Buddhist family in the Muslim village. It had previously suffered other gun and grenade attacks.

In another development, the army has assigned the Engineer Department to continue roadworks in Yala and Narathiwat after the private contractors deserted the work for fear of violence. The public relations chief for the Internal Security Operations Command's 4th Region, Col Banpot Pulpian, said yesterday about 600 soldiers had been sent to the sites since April 3.
Posted by: ryuge 2010-04-16
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=294760