Five officers from Rangae police were injured when assailants secretly planted a bomb beneath the road surface.The bomb detonated targeting their vehicle.This occurred while they were returning from investigating a theft incident in a village in Narathiwat province.
At 13:00 on 31 Mar 2016, Police Colonel Supachat Na Phatthalung, Chief of Rangae Police Station, Narathiwat province,received a reportthat assailants had detonated a bomb under the road targeting a vehicle carrying five officers from Rangae Police Station, including Lieutenant Jakkrit Chanchai, Deputy Investigation Superintendent. They were returning from investigating a burglary at a house on Dusongyo-Bong O Road near Ban Mosawa, Village No. 4, Bong O Subdistrict. The explosion injured all five officers.
He reported the incident to superiors and joined a team to inspect the scene alongside Police Major General Prayong Kotsakha, Commander of Narathiwat Provincial Police; Mr. Theerasak Sangchochi, Rangae District Chief; Lieutenant Colonel Surasak Phuengyam, Commander of Task Force 45; bomb disposal experts from Narathiwat Provincial Police; forensic officers from Narathiwat; and other relevant personnel.The team also included war dogs trained to detect explosives.Along with several other involved officials.
At the scene on the road surface,they found a bomb cratermeasuring 1 meter deep and 1.5 meters wide, with remnants of an improvised explosive device concealed inside a gas cylinder.used for cooking,weighing 25 kilograms, detonated by a battery connected by wires extending 50 meters into the nearby forest, scattering debris across the road and dense roadside undergrowth. Parts of a pickup truck were also found scattered nearby.
About 25 meters from the crater, officials found a severely damaged Isuzu four-door pickup truck, license plate 80054, belonging to Rangae Police Station. The vehicle was beyond repair and collected as evidence.
The injured officers were urgently taken to Rangae Hospital. Their names are: 1. Lieutenant Jakkrit Chanchai, 30, Deputy Investigation Superintendent, suffering head and left elbow injuries; 2. Sergeant Sunsoori Yako, 31, Investigation Unit Leader, injured at the ankle; 3. Corporal Nopporn Titphut, 33, Investigation Unit Leader, experiencing chest tightness and hearing loss; 4. Corporal Atchathorn Saengchan, 23, Investigation Unit Leader, injured at the head, left arm, and right shin; and 5. Corporal Supakorn Suwanampa, 22, Investigation Unit Leader, injured at the head andright arm.After initial treatment, they were transferred to Narathiwat Rajanagarindra Hospital for further care.
Investigations revealed that before the incident, Lieutenant Jakkrit, Deputy Investigation Superintendent, led nine investigation officers in a pickup truck from Rangae Police Station to check on a theft reported by villagers.in the affected village area.The villagers had filed the complaint earlier that morning.
After completing the investigation, the officers split into two pickup trucks: the first carrying four investigation officers, and the second with Lieutenant Jakkrit and the injured officers following behind.They were returningto the police station when, near a curve bordered by dense forest on both sides, assailants concealed in the foliage detonated the bomb planted beneath the road. The pickup carrying Lieutenant Jakkrit and others lost control and veered off the road about 25 meters from the blast site.
Five officers were injured from the impact with the vehicle. A villager following behind on a motorcycle was startled, abandoned the motorcycle, and fled on foot without injury. Authorities believe the attack was carried out by insurgent militants aiming to ambush and kill the officers.