A suspect dressed like a Muslim woman riding a motorcycle ambushed and used a military-grade weapon to shoot a reserve volunteer near retirement, killing him in Pattani and stealing his pistol before fleeing. The incident is believed to be intended to create unrest in the area.
At 08:30 on 20 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Pol. Col. Sinchai Pabuppa, superintendent of Kapho district, Pattani, received reports of a fatal shooting of an officer on the Kapho-Sai Buri road in Village No. 6, Karubi subdistrict, Kapho district. Upon notification, he deployed forces to investigate.
At the scene, many local residents had gathered, so police cordoned off the area. They found the victim's body lying in a pool of blood. He was later identified as Mr. Dechudom Sare, 59, from Kapho district. The body showed multiple gunshot wounds from a military-grade weapon to the torso. Nearby was a black Honda Wave motorcycle without license plates belonging to the victim, lying by the roadside. Police also found several AK-47 bullets and casings, which were collected as evidence.
Investigation revealed the victim was a reserve volunteer officer assigned to Kapho district, nearing retirement in September. Before the incident, he was riding his motorcycle from home to his duty post in the district. At the scene, two suspects dressed like Muslim women on a motorcycle flanked him, then the rear passenger opened fire continuously with a military-grade weapon. The victim lost control, fell, and later died. Afterward, the rear passenger dismounted, approached the victim's body, stole his sidearm, then quickly fled the scene on the motorcycle.
After the incident, Pol. Col. Sinchai Pabuppa reviewed CCTV footage from the area and identified the suspects' behavior. He coordinated with local forces to cordon off and inspect targeted areas and checkpoints, checking suspicious persons and vehicles as reported. He also ordered investigators to gather evidence and intelligence at the scene. Authorities believe this shooting was carried out by insurgent groups, as prior security warnings indicated that suspects planned attacks on state officials to incite unrest.