Kelantan police tighten border security after deadly Pattani shooting

THE Royal Malaysia Police has stepped up security operations along the Malaysia-Thailand border following a fatal shooting incident in Pattani, southern Thailand, that left the wife and infant child of a police officer dead.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said authorities had heightened precautionary measures despite the overall security situation at the border remaining stable and under control.

“The situation along our border with Thailand remains under control,” he said.

“The incident in Pattani is considered isolated, but we are taking additional precautionary measures following the attack.”

He said all personnel stationed along border areas had been instructed to remain vigilant and maintain a high level of operational readiness while carrying out their duties.

“We have directed all officers serving in border areas to remain alert and be fully prepared while on duty,” he said during an Aidiladha sacrificial ceremony organised by the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council.

Mohd Yusoff said police were also continuing close coordination with other enforcement and security agencies to ensure the border region remained secure and peaceful.

He added that surveillance and monitoring activities, including patrols along illegal crossing routes and security hotspots, had been intensified following the attack.

The heightened alert comes after four armed men disguised as Muslim women reportedly opened fire on the vehicle of a Thai police officer outside Prasanwittayamulniti School in Yarang district, Pattani, at about 3.30pm local time on Monday.

The officer’s wife, who was a teacher at the school and had recently returned from maternity leave after giving birth, was killed alongside their two-month-old daughter in the ambush. The police officer survived but sustained injuries in the attack.

The latest violence has renewed concerns over instability in Thailand’s southern provinces, where sporadic insurgent attacks have continued despite ongoing security operations by Thai authorities. - May 28, 2026