Pre-dawn blasts at border post

The encampment is one of the two co-ordinated border positions created by the Malaysian and Thai security services to carry out joint patrols.

It is located about 50 metres from the Thai army border post. The platoon was sent in on Jan 6 and was supposed to stay there for three months.

Mohammad Ismail said the army was investigating the incident and that the situation along the border was under control.

"Initial investigations showed that the explosions could be from hand grenades. But we are unsure whether it was an attack on our post," he told a Press conference before visiting the injured at the army hospital at Lapangan Terbang Camp in Sungai Petani.

He denied foreign news reports quoting the Thai army that the Malaysian soldiers were conducting an exercise at that time.

"To date, we have not received any information from the Thai army regarding the incident.

"If the situation warrants it, we will discuss with our counterparts. But right now, we don’t see a need to do so as the situation is normal," he said.

Bernama reported Thai army spokesman General Akara Thitrot as saying that the four sustained minor injuries and were treated at Kanto Hospital in Yala.

"They are still investigating the incident, but initial reports showed that it was an accident," he said.

However, Mohammad Ismail said Thai troops helped take the injured soldiers to a local village clinic in Ban Bin Samoe before they were airlifted to the hospital in Kedah.

Sources said that around 3am, soldiers at the post detected the presence of a group of men surrounding it.

After two hours of tense waiting, two explosions went off, resulting in the injuries to the four. The unknown group was said to have retreated after the soldiers opened fire.

Mohammad Ismail, however, declined to comment on the allegation that the soldiers were attacked.

"Please don’t speculate. We are still investigating," he said.

Meanwhile, Mat Nazir’s wife Nor Hashimah Hashim, 29, from Taman Mahsuri Kulim, said when she visited him, he was conscious and stable.

"I don’t regret that this happened because I knew the risks that he would have to go through as a soldier. I’m just glad that he is alive," she said.

The couple has two daughters aged five and six. Nor Hashimah is a nurse. NST