Thailand (11 August 2014– 17 August 2014)

Southern Thai insurgents continued their activities this week with a number of bombings in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala provinces. For the most part, members of the security forces on patrol remain the targets.

Terrorism

A bomb buried under a tree by a canal near Samakkhi School in Kato village, Patae in Yala’s Yaha was detonated on 12 August 2014 while volunteer rangers were on patrol. The blast killed Rangers Prakasit Rakhpan and Chatchai Lohithan, and injured Ranger Thawee Faipesat.1 2

On 14 August 2014, two further bomb attacks took place in in . The first incident occurred in Saiburi district’s tambon Jor Kueyae. The bomb was detonated remotely while a paramilitary security detail passed the atea, and injured Ranger Wattana Chan-orn. The second bomb was detonated in tambon Talomaena in Thung Yang Daeng district. The bomb was concealed in a fire extinguisher and detonated as a police patrol in a pickup truck passed. Four policemen, Pol Sgt Maj Boonsong Gunnaroj, Pol Sgt Maj Adithep Nookongkaeo, Pol L/C Tasmisi Sani and Pol Sgt Boonrit Bangsri, were injured in the blast and rushed to hospital.3

Another bomb was detonated on 15 August in Narathiwat’s Muang district. Security forces were travelling in a fuel truck loaded with oil when a bomb hidden in a motorcycle parked on the side of the road in tambon Kaulwornua was detonated as they passed by. Sgt Maj 1st Class Sanya Phromphetnil, and Rangers Chaichet Langkham and Siri Jearanai were wounded in the explosion, and taken to hospital.4 Ranger Jearanai later succumbed to his wounds in hospital. The motorcycle used in the attack had been stolen from a 62 year old woman earlier in the week. The woman had been shot dead and her motorcycle repainted.5 A second attack also happened the same dau in Yala’s . a seven-man squad of special operations police on four motorcycles was hit before noon while escorting teachers by a a 5kg bomb packed in a fire extinguisher and put in a fertiliser sack. Lance Corporal Sarawuth Choothanom was pronounced dead at a hospital, while the patrol leader Lieutenant Montree Phummorradok was sent to a hospital in Songkhla.6

A shooting believed to be linked to the Southern insurgency occurred in Pattani’s on 16 August 2014. Jeha Wanaeng, 67, was shot while he was riding his motorcycle on Cholaprathan Road in Ban Klang sub-district to a tea shop at about 0730hrs. It is believed that a pillion rider on a second motorcycle used a pistol to fire several rounds into him.7 On the same night in , three M79 grenade rounds were fired at district police station at approximately 2130hrs. All three rounds missed their target, and were believed to have been fired by militants hiding in a rubber plantation.8

1 “Similar bombs used in two Yala attacks”, The Nation, 14 August 2014, http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Similar-bombs-used-in-two-Yala-attacks-30240890.html 2 “2 rangers killed, 1 wounded in Yala”, Bangkok Post, 13 August 2014, http://www.bangkokpost.com/most- recent/426436/2-rangers-killed-1-wounded-in-yala 3 “Five hurt as security patrols bombed”, Bangkok Post, 14 August 2014, http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/426700/pattani-bombers-target-police-ranger-patrols 4 “Three injured by Narathiwat bomb”, Bangkok Post, 15 August 2014, http://www.bangkokpost.com/most- recent/426912/three-injured-by-narathiwat-bomb 5 “Two killed and three injured in attacks in South”, The Nation, 16 August 2014, http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Two-killed-and-three-injured-in-attacks-in-South-30241046.html 6 Ibid. 7 “Villager shot dead in Pattani”, Bangkok Post, 16 August 2014, http://www.bangkokpost.com/most- recent/427067/villager-shot-dead-in-pattani 8 “M79 rounds fired at Yala police station”, Bangkok Post, 17 August 2014, http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/427220/m79-rounds-fired-at-yala-police-station Another bombing took place on 17 August 2014 inPattani;s . The attack occurred at approximately 1715hrs as a Border Patrol Police (BPP) unit travelling on two motorcycles and a pick-up truck was approaching an intersection near the market of Basa-e village. The bomb was detonated remotely, and two BPP members on a motorcycle - Pol Sub Lt Supat Polasit and Pol L/Cpl Wuthichai Kongsong - were wounded in the explosion. They were admitted to Yarang Hospital.9

Counter-terrorism

Thailand’s Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) announced the arrest of three suspected insurgent leaders on 14 August 2014. Asman Jehba, 33, Afandee Kapa, 28, and Sukree Samae, 28, were arrested in Pattani’s , and are believed to have been involved in a number of bomb attacks and street shootings in the region. Authorities also confiscated two rifles and three handguns, along with a large amount of ammunition during the arrests. In addition, they also found two gas cylinders and other explosive components as well as two motorcycles with fake license plates.10

9 “2 police wounded by bomb in Pattani”, Bangkok Post, 18 August 2014, http://www.bangkokpost.com/most- recent/427371/2-police-wounded-by-bomb-in-pattani 10 “3 arrested over arms, bomb cache”, Bangkok Post, 15 August 2014, http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/426786/3-arrested-over-arms-bomb-cache