Rampaging soldier kills 20 in Thailand

A rampaging soldier has killed 20 people and injured 31 in a gun attack in the Thai city of Nakhon Ratchasima.

A defence ministry spokesman, Kongcheep Tantravanich, told the BBC that Jakraphanth Thomma, a junior officer, killed his commanding officer before stealing weapons from a military camp.

According to him, the suspect later drove to the city centre and entered a shopping complex, where he is currently holed up.

“There are about 20 dead,” Tantravanich said.

The suspect, whose motives remain unclear, posted images of the attack on his Facebook page and wrote “death is inevitable for everyone.”

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Dozens of terrified shoppers were evacuated from the centre as armed police said they had “taken control” of the ground floor of the complex.

The soldier opened fire at different locations in the city, which is more than 250km (155 miles) from capital, Bangkok, police spokesman, Kissana Phathanacharoen, told journalists on Saturday evening.

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