Two Tak Bai police investigators died in an M16 ambush after officers investigating drug activity walked into a deadly attack in Narathiwat. Three colleagues were wounded as a huge military-backed manhunt began for the fugitive gunman.
A routine drug intelligence operation in Narathiwat turned into a deadly ambush on Sunday after an M16-wielding gunman opened fire on a Tak Bai police investigation team inside a palm plantation, killing two investigators, wounding three colleagues and escaping into dense terrain, triggering a massive joint manhunt as police questioned three men found at the scene and investigated possible links between the attacker and the southern insurgency.
Two police investigators were killed and three colleagues wounded on Sunday after a drug operation in Narathiwat’s Tak Bai district turned into a deadly gun battle inside a palm plantation.
An armed suspect escaped with an M16 rifle, triggering a massive joint manhunt involving police, soldiers and civilian officials.
The attack erupted at 11.48 am behind the Phrai Wan Subdistrict Administrative Organisation in Ban Bueng Chalam village, Moo 6, tambon Phrai Wan. Investigators from Tak Bai Police Station had entered the area to gather intelligence and pressure suspected drug targets. However, the routine operation suddenly became a deadly ambush.
Police drug operation turns into deadly ambush as officers come under sudden M16 attack in plantation
According to investigators, Pol Lt Kittipong Srikham led a six-member investigation team into the village. After completing enquiries, the officers began returning to Tak Bai Police Station. Then they spotted several motorcycles parked beside a hut. Nearby, a group of men had gathered outside. Suspecting something was wrong, the officers decided to investigate.
After crossing a drainage ditch, the team approached the hut on foot. Without warning, at least one gunman unleashed automatic fire with an M16 rifle. The opening burst struck Pol Sgt Maj Humran Ha several times in the chest and torso. He collapsed beside the drainage ditch opposite the hut. Despite his colleagues’ immediate response, he died at the scene.
Instantly, the remaining officers charged towards the attacker. The gunman sprinted into the surrounding plantation. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Witthaya Chaipromkaew pursued him through the trees.
Moments later, police said the suspect took cover behind a palm tree before opening fire again. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Witthaya was struck multiple times during the chase. He died near the bridge leading to the hut.
Running gun battle leaves three more officers wounded as fugitive escapes through dense palm terrain
What followed was a running firefight across the plantation. Bullets ripped through the trees as officers returned fire. During the exchange, three more investigators were wounded. Even so, the suspect used his knowledge of the plantation to break contact and disappear into the dense palm groves.
Police later described the fugitive as shirtless, wearing track pants and carrying an M16 rifle. By late Sunday afternoon, he remained at large despite an expanding search involving multiple agencies.
The wounded officers were identified as Police Lieutenant Lt Kittipong Srikham, Police Corporal Traitos Kunsanthawasiri and Police Senior Sergeant Major Wannuchit Saekho. Police Lieutenant Kittipong suffered a graze wound to his left side. Pol Cpl Traitos sustained a bullet graze to the head. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wannuchit was shot in both legs. Initially, all three officers were treated at Tak Bai Hospital. They were later transferred to Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital for specialist treatment and close observation.
In response, Pol Lt Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, ordered an immediate joint operation. Police, military personnel and administrative officials flooded into the district. Their first priority was preventing the gunman from escaping the plantation.
Massive police and military dragnet seals off plantation as helicopter joins widening hunt for fugitive
As part of the operation, security forces established a tight cordon around the area. Checkpoints appeared on roads in every direction. Traffic was halted while officers searched surrounding plantations and access routes.
A military helicopter also joined the operation, scanning the area from above as ground teams swept through the palm groves.
Notably, authorities declared the plantation a danger zone. Unauthorised people, including reporters, were barred from entering. Officials said the restrictions were necessary because the suspect was believed to still be hiding inside the plantation.
Meanwhile, forensic teams moved into the secured crime scene. Detectives recovered at least 10 spent M16 cartridge cases from three separate locations around the hut and plantation. Officers carefully documented each position before collecting ballistic evidence. Investigators also examined the bridge, drainage ditch and surrounding vegetation where the gun battle unfolded.
In parallel, police detained three men believed to have been staying at the hut before the shooting. They were escorted to the Paramilitary Marine Regiment in Tak Bai district for questioning. Detectives sought to determine whether they had any connection to the gunman or knew why he was at the property. However, police stopped short of identifying the men as suspects.
Police probe insurgent link as three men questioned and investigators examine motive behind ambush
Separately, investigators examined the possibility that the shooter was not one of the hut’s occupants. A police source at Tak Bai Police Station said the gunman may have been an insurgent temporarily hiding there.
The source added that investigators were considering whether the occupants had been forced to provide him with shelter. That possibility had not been confirmed.
On another front, detectives continued examining what triggered the shooting. One police source said the suspect may have believed officers had arrived specifically to arrest him. If so, that could explain why he opened fire immediately. Nevertheless, investigators stressed that no motive had been established.
Following the attack, Mr Kritsada Suksabai, Tak Bai district chief and director of the district operations centre, ordered administrative officials to join the expanding search.
Additional police and military reinforcements poured into the district throughout the afternoon. Search teams widened the security perimeter and combed plantations, drainage channels and nearby routes leading away from the scene.
Forensic teams build murder case as manhunt intensifies and security forces tighten cordon across Tak Bai
Elsewhere, officers interviewed witnesses while forensic specialists reconstructed the sequence of events. Detectives continued matching witness accounts with physical evidence recovered from the plantation. Every spent cartridge case and firing position became part of the investigation.
By then, the operation had shifted completely from a narcotics intelligence mission to a murder investigation. Two experienced investigators had been killed. Three fellow officers had been wounded. An armed suspect had vanished into difficult terrain.
Later, police confirmed the identities of all five officers involved in the shooting. News of the deaths spread quickly through Tak Bai Police Station and the wider province, prompting an immediate outpouring of grief among fellow officers and residents.
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Throughout the afternoon, the helicopter remained overhead while ground teams searched below. Officers repeatedly checked likely escape routes and maintained the security cordon. Checkpoints remained active as every vehicle entering or leaving the area came under scrutiny.
By late Sunday, investigators believed the fugitive could still be hiding somewhere inside the plantation. Consequently, the operation remained active into the evening. The three detained men were still being questioned. No arrests had been announced. Nevertheless, police said the hunt would continue until the gunman was found.
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