A suspected insurgent much wanted for multiple murders and terror attacks was killed in a firefight yesterday with security officials in Pattani province.
Police said Sabuding Deng was a righthand man to senior insurgent leader Mahama Jaja, much wanted himself. The death of Sabuding has prompted provincial authorities to heighten security to cope with possible retaliatory attacks by fellow insurgents.
After the firefight, which followed a security blockade of two houses, police also arrested a suspect, Ismael Yaena, near the scene. Army Sergeant Anucha Sapsin was shot in the left hand.
Sabuding had been sought for various crimes under eight arrest warrants, including the murder last August of a border patrol officer, who was also a teacher, and two other murders, in addition to an arson attack on a school in tambon Sakhor Bon subdistrict in February last year.
Police and military officers negotiated with Sabuding for hours with the help of imams and local officials before the raid into the house where he was hiding.
Provincial Governor Theerathep Sriyaphan said the security alert followed intelligence reports that Mahama himself had become active in the province together with Sabuding, possibly for planning for future attacks, before Sabuding was located and later killed.