Suspected Insurgent in Coma After Army Detention

ICU Ward at Pattani Hospital.
ICU Ward at Pattani Hospital.

PATTANI — A suspected insurgent has fallen into a coma after being taken to a military base for interrogation on Sunday.

Abdullah Isomuso, 32, was found unconscious on Sunday inside his holding cell in a Pattani military base called Fort Ingkhayut. He was arrested on Saturday for suspected involvement in a terror group.

Doctors found an accumulation of excess fluid inside his brain, suggesting he suffered from a prolonged shortage of oxygen. No sign of physical violence was found on his body.

His wife, Sumaiya Minka, said she was only informed of his condition when she went to Fort Ingkhayut to visit her husband on Sunday morning, at which she was told instead to go to a hospital’s ICU ward. She confirmed that her husband has no history of chronic disease and cooperated with the authorities when he was taken away.

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Abdullah was arrested after being implicated in a statement given by a terror cell leader, according to a statement issued by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) on Sunday. The statement also confirmed that Abdullah was healthy before being taken into custody.

Lt. Gen. Pornsak Poonsawat, the 4th Army Region commander, has promised to set up a committee to investigate the incident.

“I can confirm that no one is above the law. Everyone involved must be treated fairly and we are ready to scrutinize all actions of government officials,” Pornsak said after visiting Abdullah on Sunday.

Although Abdullah’s relatives have yet to issue a public statement on the incident, Prachachart Party leader Wan Muhamad took to his Facebook on Sunday to criticize the military.

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“If the incident remains unexplained, the public will be wary of the government, which can become another obstacle to peace,” reads Wan’s post.

Abdullah is currently on life support and remains unconscious.

In this photo released by the ISOC, Abdullah Isomuso, center, is shown reading documents inside Fort Ingkhayut on July 20.
In this photo released by the ISOC, Abdullah Isomuso, center, is shown reading documents inside Fort Ingkhayut on July 20.