Drug Raid in Thailand’s Narathiwat Province Erupts in Gun Battle: 2 Police Officers Killed, 3 Injured

Police officers from the Tak Bai District Police Station in Narathiwat province, southern Thailand, were shot at by criminals during a drug raid, resulting in the deaths of two officers and injuries to another three.

According to the Bangkok Post, the attack occurred on the morning of the 2nd at a shack in an oil palm plantation. Law enforcement was conducting a search operation related to a drug case when at least one gunman armed with an M16 rifle opened fire, triggering a gunfight.

One of the deceased was shot multiple times in the chest and body, while the other was killed while pursuing the suspect near a bridge leading to the shack.

The police stated that the fleeing gunman was shirtless, wearing track pants, and armed with an M16 rifle. He escaped into the nearby palm plantation. At present, all security departments are intensifying efforts to coordinate border interception measures and are deploying officers to continue tracking the gunman.

A source from the Tak Bai police station stated that the gunman may not actually live in the shack. He is possibly a member of an armed insurgent group just temporarily staying there and forcing the occupants to shelter him.

The source also mentioned that the gunman may have opened fire because he thought the police were there to arrest him. This has not yet been confirmed by the authorities.