Armed men torched Hala Bala wildlife sanctuary office in Narathiwat on Saturday

A group of about 10 armed men, believed to be insurgents, raided the office of the Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary in Waeng district of Thailand’s southernmost province of Narathiwat on Saturday night, torched the lodgings and stole 10 shotguns.

According to the police report, the armed men broke into the office of the sanctuary, located in Lochut sub-district, and tied up all the officials before grabbing the ten shotguns kept in the office.

They also set fire to four lodgings before escaping.

Once the intruders had left, the officials managed to free themselves and alerted the district police.

Fire trucks rushed to the scene to extinguish the fires, while security forces were dispatched to investigate the incident.

Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, considered to be one of the ecologically richest forests in southern Thailand, is often referred to as the “Amazon of ASEAN”. Officially established in 1996, the sanctuary covers about 43,316 hectares and is home to various wildlife species, among them hornbills and gaurs.