Police are accelerating DNA tests and forensic checks after gunmen ambushed a police officer outside a school in Pattani, killing his wife, a teacher.
Pol Maj Gen Jruykiat Pankaeo, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, indicated investigators believed Pol Snr Sgt Maj Adul Hayeesulong, 38, of Yaring police station, had been monitored for some time before the attack in Yarang district on Monday.
Officers suspect the assailants chose a densely populated community route near the school to ease their escape and avoid retaliation.
The shooting happened at 3.30pm as Pol Snr Sgt Maj Adul arrived to collect his child from Prasanwittayamulniti School. Surveillance camera footage showed four suspects dressed similarly to Muslim women arriving on two motorcycles before opening fire on the family vehicle.
Fatimoh Yango, 35, a teacher at the school who was on maternity leave, died after being shot while holding the couple's 35-day-old daughter in the back seat. The infant and the couple's 3-year-old son survived. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Adul suffered gunshot wounds to both legs.
Police found the attack site was a narrow route through a crowded community and the only road leading to the school.
Forensic teams recovered evidence indicating the attackers used both 9mm handguns and AK-pattern rifles. Investigators also found a magazine loaded with 10 rounds at the scene.
The investigation team is examining spent bullet casings and DNA evidence, particularly traces found on the discarded magazine. Police are focusing on militants believed linked to the killing of Pol Snr Sgt Maj Mayakee Diyo, a community relations officer shot dead in Yaring district on May 4.
Pol Snr Sgt Maj Adul told investigators he normally collected his child alone because his wife had recently given birth, but she had asked to accompany him that day.
He initially thought the first shot was the sound of breaking glass before hearing several more gunshots and driving into the school compound, less than 300 metres from the main road.
He said he believed the attackers had been hiding in a nearby alley while parents crowded the area collecting children, creating confusion that allowed the gunmen to blend in. Most residents in the area wore similar clothing, making the suspects difficult to identify.
Politicians and the National Human Rights Commission condemned the attack, urging swift arrests, stronger protection around schools and support for affected families.
