Soldier Shot Dead When Opening Door During Home Attack
A 28-year-old soldier was shot dead while opening his door to investigate suspicious activity outside his family home in Buriram Province early September 23. Police suspect the attack may have been targeting his teenage nephew, who works at
At 2:30 a.m. on September 23, Sergeant Major Manop Thongphubtala of Lahansai Police Station responded to a shooting incident at a house in Lahansai District, Buriram Province. Officers discovered 28-year-old soldier Watcharintra (surname withheld), who had been shot in the head with an unknown caliber firearm and was dead at the scene. Nearby, his 17-year-old nephew was found with a gunshot wound to his left arm and was taken to Lahansai Hospital for treatment.
According to the victim's mother, 63-year-old Tayai (surname withheld), her son had recently been released from prison and conscripted into the military, but was granted three months of home leave due to tuberculosis treatment. She recalled that in the middle of the night, she heard loud vehicles and motorcycles outside, so her son and grandson opened the door to look. Gunshots then rang out twice. She believes the attackers may have been targeting her grandson, who works at a barbecued meat restaurant and allegedly had prior conflicts with teenagers from neighboring villages.
Local residents reported seeing a group of teenagers on motorcycles circling the area repeatedly before the shooting, and expressed concern about illegal firearms circulating in the community. Police are investigating the incident, collecting evidence, and interviewing witnesses while pursuing leads on the suspects and examining possible gang-related motives behind the attack.
