Pattani: Urgently hunting for 4 perpetrators who shot and killed 2 police officers at Yarang Police Station, while the national police chief mourns the brave police officers and orders superiors to look after their benefits, salary increases, and rank increases.
According to Thai News Agency, progress in the incident of an unidentified group of assailants who ambushed and shot a police officer from Yarang Police Station while he was riding a motorcycle on patrol in an area behind the vehicle inspection station, Village No. 3, Yarang Subdistrict, Yarang District, Pattani Province at 11:25 p.m. on February 19, resulting in the deaths of Pol. Sgt. Decha Khiawkaew, 35, and Pol. Sgt. Songchai Chanthraphap, 23, the squad leader (Investigation), Yarang Police Station, Pattani Province.
Today, bomb squad officers, forensic officers, and investigators from Yarang Police Station went to the scene to collect evidence. Initial findings show dozens of bullet casings were strewn about the scene, including AK47 caliber bullet casings, 9 mm pistol bullet casings, .22 caliber bullet casings, and 5.56 caliber bullet casings. Officers collected them as evidence.
Witnesses were questioned and found that before the incident, four armed criminals rode two motorcycles and parked them 100 meters away from the scene. They then hid in the forest on the side of the road, choosing a sniper position at a curve in the road. It is believed that the criminals were following the officers who often use this route to inspect the area regularly. When the two officers arrived on their patrol motorcycles, they slowed down because it was a curve. At that moment, the criminals used military weapons to shoot the motorcycle until it fell, injuring the officers. The criminals then ran over and shot again until they were motionless. They also stole two of the officers' handguns. However, since the scene was less than 500 meters from Yarang Police Station, other officers heard the gunshots and immediately went to help. However, the criminals had already fled. They helped take the two officers to the hospital, but they were found dead.
Urgently hunting for 4 perpetrators who shot 2 police officers at Yarang Police Station, Pattani Province. After the incident, the Yarang Police Station Superintendent urgently radioed all areas to set up checkpoints to intercept the perpetrators and urgently reviewed CCTV footage. It is believed that it was the work of a group of insurgents to create chaos and harm officers. From analyzing the patterns of incidents since the beginning of the year, it was found that there were changes in tactics, including tying bombs under officers' vehicles, urgently placing bombs at checkpoints, using motorcycles to assemble bombs, shooting grenades and throwing pipe bombs, and most recently using ambush shooting, with all targets still being officers.
The National Police Chief rewards two brave police officers in Pattani Province. The latest is that Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphet, the national police chief, expressed his condolences to the families of the two officers and ordered them to take full care of their benefits. Pol. Sgt. Decho will receive an initial financial assistance of almost 2.5 million baht (2,460,960 baht), special merit consideration, a salary increase of no more than 7 levels, and a promotion to the rank of 'Pol. Col.' Pol. Sgt. Songchai will receive an initial financial assistance of almost 2.3 million baht (2,289,540 baht), special merit consideration, a salary increase of no more than 7 levels, and a promotion to the rank of 'Pol. Lt.'