Thai Army admits killing four Muslim villagers

21.03.2012

Thailand's military on Wednesday admitted that troops had shot dead four Muslim villagers on their way to a funeral in the insurgency-hit south due to a 'misunderstanding' in late January.

Four others were wounded when a ranger unit opened fire on their pickup truck in Nongchik district of Pattani province.

The military ordered the withdrawal of the unit immediately after the incident and set up a panel including a local religious leader to investigate.

'The incident in which on-duty security officials acted against civilians was likely caused by a misunderstanding resulting from the surrounding circumstances,' the statement from the southern region army command said.