Dramatic Moments as Attackers Open Fire on Bukhe Sami Checkpoint Believed to Have Systematic Convoy Plan

Dramatic footage reveals attackers firing and throwing explosives at Bukhe Sami checkpoint, resulting in five Ranger deaths and a child severely injured by stray bullets. The assailants are suspected to have executed a well-organized convoy-style attack, moving systematically.

On 22 July 2016, a shocking incident occurred when an unknown number of assailants driving pickup trucks and motorcycles launched pipe bomb attacks and gunfire at Bukhe Sami checkpoint in Ra-ngae District, Narathiwat Province. The attack caused five rangers from Company 4509 to be killed and multiple civilians injured by stray bullets, including a 10-year-old boy, as previously reported.Read more: Attackers storm checkpoint with gunfire and bombs in Narathiwat; five rangers killed)

The attackers, numbering six and dressed in black with black-brimmed hats, launched their assault on the Bukhe Sami checkpoint located in the municipal area of Tanyongmas Subdistrict, Ra-ngae District, Narathiwat Province, under the responsibility of Ranger Company 4509.

CCTV footage from the scene reveals that the attackers planned their convoy-style assault in a systematic manner.

• It began with a red Honda Wave 110 motorcycle serving as the “lead vehicle.”
• Next was the “operational vehicle,” a black four-door Nissan pickup truck.
• Six attackers dressed in black with brimmed hats sat in the truck bed, firing weapons and throwing pipe bombs at the checkpoint.
• A white Honda Wave motorcycle followed as the “escort/follow vehicle.”

The attackers’ basic profile is as follows:

1. Vehicles involved

• Vehicle 1 (Lead): Red Honda Wave 110 motorcycle
• Vehicle 2 (Operational): Black four-door Nissan pickup truck
• Vehicle 3 (Escort): White Honda Wave motorcycle

2. Attire and appearance

• Six attackers sat in the pickup truck bed.
• They wore black clothing and black-brimmed hats.

After the attack, the assailants sped away on the pickup truck and motorcycles along Route 4055, heading from Tanyongmas Subdistrict to Dusongyo Subdistrict in Ra-ngae District. Security forces immediately sealed off the scene, dispatched forensic teams and military and police personnel to investigate, collect bomb fragments and shell casings, and retrieve DNA evidence to identify and prosecute the perpetrators to the full extent of the law.

At the same time, local security agencies have raised the security level to the highest alert, ordering all checkpoints and operation units to maintain strict 24-hour vigilance to prevent further attacks and reassure the local population.

Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities immediately at 1341, the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Front hotline, or 191, available 24 hours.