SAA event in Pattani, Thailand on Mon 16th March 2026

A clash and shootout ensued after officers surrounded a suspected insurgent's house in southern Thailand. One Border Patrol Police officer was killed and one Ranger was injured. The Commander of the 4th Army Region revealed that a graduated approach was used, from mild to severe measures, and expressed his deepest condolences to the family of Sergeant Major Warathep Srisuwanchana.

This follows an operation to apprehend the insurgents, which results in them firing at officers. Today (March 16, 2026), the 4th Army Region Forward Command released the results of a law enforcement operation in Ban Takong, Village No. 6, Tuyong Subdistrict, Nong Chik District, Pattani Province. This operation was an extension of a previous operation in Tha Kam Cham Subdistrict, Nong Chik District, Pattani Province, after security forces learned of the movements of a violent group involved in the unrest, who were hiding in the area. The target individuals were suspects with multiple arrest warrants for security-related offenses.

A joint force of military, police, and administrative officials conducted the operation to identify and apprehend the individuals, employing a graduated approach from mild to severe measures. Authorities attempted to negotiate and persuade individuals in the area to surrender, but the insurgents hiding there opened fire, resulting in a shootout. During the clash, one officer, Police Sergeant Major Warathep Srisuwanchana of the Border Patrol Police Division 43, was seriously wounded by a bullet to the face. He was rushed to Pattani Hospital but later died. Another officer, Volunteer Ranger Wiriya Doyraman of the 41st Ranger Regiment Task Force, was also injured with a bullet to his right little finger. He received treatment and his condition is stable.