Village head badly hurt in Narathiwat attack

Medical staff tend to Mahama Daroma, 45, head of Mohtakor village in Chanae district of Narathiwat, who sustained three gunshot wounds in an attack at his plantation on Saturday. (Photo by Waedao Harai)

NARATHIWAT: A village head was shot and seriously wounded at his rubber plantation in Chanae district of this southern province in a daylight attack on Saturday.

Mahama Daroma, 45, the head of Mohtakor village in tambon Padungmart, was shot by an unknown number of armed men while he was surveying his rubber plantation for a backhoe to dig irrigation channels at around 12.30pm, said Pol Capt Bundit Chuchart, a deputy investigation chief at Chanae police station.

Mr Mahama sustained three gunshot wounds to his right shoulder, right rib and stomach. Soldiers and police sent him to Chanae Hospital. As his wounds were severe, he was later transferred to Naradhiwasrajanagarindra Hospital.

Police found no evidence left by the armed men at the scene of the attack. They hope to question the victim when he recovers to determine whether he had any conflict with anyone. However, they have not yet ruled out a link to the ongoing sectarian unrest in the strife-torn region.