Security forces shot and killed three insurgents, following a five-day siege occasionally punctuated by gun battles, in a rubber plantation in Khok Pho district of Pattani province.
On the first day of the siege, July 27, three officers were injured and one of them subsequently died at a hospital in Hat Yai district from the serious injuries he had sustained in an explosion.
Despite the casualties, security forces intensified the siege, as they cautiously moved towards the suspected hideouts of the insurgents. A backhoe was deployed to clear a path.
A military officer said that, during the siege, Muslim religious leaders were asked to tell the insurgents to lay down their arms and to surrender, but without success. Instead, the insurgents started shooting, prompting the security forces to return fire.
On Wednesday night, a fierce firefight broke out in the plantation, which lasted for quite some time. The troops waited until daybreak, when they cautiously began to comb the area.
Three insurgents were found dead with gunshot wounds. Two M16 assault rifles and two pistols were found at the scene. Not far away, the troops found an abandoned shelter and another containing food supplies and drinking water.
