Meanwhile, school burned to the ground during Friday prayers
Two suspected leading terrorists insurgents were shot dead during a firefight with police in the southern insurgency-torn province of Yala on Friday. Pol. Lt-Gen. Adul Saengsingkaew, deputy police chief, said one police officer was wounded in the exchange of fire.
The dead men were identified as Isma-ae Pajoo and Maso Gaji. Both were leading members of an insurgency group, allegedly involved in many deadly bomb attacks in the three restive southern provinces in the past two years and were the subjects of arrest warrants. The deputy police chief added that Isma-ae Pajoo was believed to have planned many terror insurgent attacks. Police had been monitoring the movements of the group, and its two leading members were recently killed during a raid. Yala deputy governor Kritsada Boonraj said the situation had improved as local villagers had become more cooperative with the authorities and gave useful information which led to many arrests of suspected terrorists insurgents.
Meanwhile, terrorists insurgents set fire to a school in Bannang Sata district. The flames quickly spread, completely destroying the six-room school building and all documents. The intruders spilled fuel across the floor and set it on fire. According to preliminary investigation, police said at least three arsonists broke into a classroom while the school's security unit was at Friday prayers in the town. The intruders spread fuel on floor and set it on fire. The school director said the security unit usually guarded the school around the clock but the arsonists took advantage of the Ramadan fasting period when all Muslims needed to maintain their religious practice to enter the premises and burn the school. |