Yala police station attacked by insurgents

The attack took place on the day Army chief General Anupong Paochinda on paid a one-day visit to touch base with the troops on the ground amid a week-long of intense gunfight in a number of districts in Yala between Malay Muslim separatists and paramilitary rangers.

Anupong was given a security briefing by the Fourth Army's Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) about the recent development that witnessed a stepped up in attacks on paramilitary rangers outposts.

Meanwhile, two districts from where Anupong was being brief, suspected insurgents set off a roadside bomb, injuring three paramilitary rangers patrolling on the back of a pickup truck in Yala's Krong Pinang district.

Moral among the police was also low funeral rites were being carried out for two slain police officers killed on Wednesday by a roadside bomb set off by suspected insurgents.

The previous evening also witnessed a number of violent incidents, including an arson attack against a local government office in Pattani's Sai Buri district that provide small loans to local rubber tapers. The arson attack took place Thursday morning, shortly after midnight.

Separately, in Yaring district, a local resident, Ya-ae Che-dae, 39, survived an attempt on his life when two men riding pillion on a motorbike drove up near where he was sitting and commence fire.

Ya-ae said he managed to duck in time. The attackers fled but the gunman dropped his AK47 assault rifle as he was fleeing.

Similar incident took place in Mayor district, Muhammed-kasor Wako, a paramilitary ranger officer, suffered several gunshot wounds by two gunmen riding pillion on a motorbike approach him from behind and fired several shots.

Muahmmed-kasor was rushed to a nearby hospital and remained in serious condition.

A number of districts in central region of Yala has come under intense violence since Monday when insurgents launched coordinated attacks on eight paramilitary ranger outposts in remote districts.

While no one died from the Monday assault and overall damages were minimal, local officials said they were alarmed by the co-ordinated fashion of the attacks.