Army Chief Condemns ‘Inhumane’ Murders in Narathiwat, Orders Manhunt for Gunmen
NARATHIWAT — The head of Thailand’s Fourth Army Region, Lt Gen Paisan Nusang, has condemned the brutal murders of four Thai Buddhist civilians — including a nine-year-old girl and a 76-year-old blind woman — in a pair of deadly shootings in Tak Bai and Chanae districts on Friday.
Calling the attacks “inhumane and barbaric,” Lt Gen Paisan has launched an intensive manhunt to track down the gunmen, who are believed to be linked to separatist groups operating in the southern provinces.
The first incident occurred in Ai Bue Tae village, Chanae district, where armed men opened fire on a mother and her son as they rode a motorcycle. The mother, who was blind, died at the scene; her 50-year-old son was critically injured.
Later that evening, six armed men riding three motorcycles attacked a home in Tak Bai’s Khosit subdistrict. Three people, including a young girl, were killed and two others injured in the ambush.
Lt Gen Paisan traveled to the affected areas on Saturday to meet with local residents and security officials. Speaking in Ai Bue Tae, he reassured the community and pledged to increase protection, especially for vulnerable civilians. “These were acts of pure cruelty,” he said. “We will not let such crimes go unanswered.”
Security forces have been ordered to tighten checkpoints, seal escape routes, and remain on high alert as investigations continue.
The violence comes amid renewed tensions in Thailand’s southern border provinces, where separatist insurgents have waged a deadly campaign for greater autonomy since 2004. While clashes often target military or police, attacks on unarmed civilians—particularly women and children—are rare and have sparked widespread outrage.
The recent surge in violence coincides with the expiration of the statute of limitations in the long-delayed Tak Bai case, which sought justice for 85 protesters killed by security forces in 2004. With the case dismissed and no prosecutions made, local resentment has deepened, fueling further instability in the region.
