Two police killed, three wounded in Narathiwat plantation firefight

Two police investigators were killed and three others wounded during a drug search in Tak Bai district on Sunday, prompting a manhunt for an armed suspect who fled into a palm plantation. The attack occurred at about 11:48 am at a hut in Ban Bueng Chalam village, tambon Phrai Wan, where officers from Tak Bai police station were investigating drug-related activities. Pol Sgt Maj Humran Ha was killed by multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and body, while Pol Snr Sgt Maj Witthaya Chaipromkaew was fatally shot while pursuing the suspect near a bridge leading to the hut. The injured officers—Pol Lt Kittipong Srikham, Pol Cpl Traitos Kunsanthawasiri, and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wannuchit Saekho—suffered graze wounds and were transferred to Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital after initial treatment at Tak Bai Hospital. The fleeing suspect, described as shirtless and wearing track pants, was armed with an M16 rifle and escaped into the surrounding plantation. Police recovered at least 10 spent M16 cartridge cases from the scene. Three men believed to have been staying at the hut were detained for questioning. According to investigators, the six-member police team had gone to the village to gather information on drug activity. Upon noticing a group of men and motorcycles at a hut, they stopped to investigate. As officers approached, the gunman opened fire without warning. A firefight ensued, with the suspect escaping after wounding three more officers. Pol Lt Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, ordered a joint operation involving police, military, and administrative officials to seal off the area and track down the fugitive. The area has been declared a danger zone, barring unauthorized access. A police source suggested the gunman might be an insurgent temporarily sheltering at the hut, who possibly opened fire out of fear of arrest. The search for the suspect is ongoing.