A son of the deputy chief of Pattani's Tambon Administration Arganisation (TAO) and two university students were among four suspected insurgents shot dead by security officers in Pattani's Thung Yang Daeng district on Wednesdaynight.
The son of the deputy chairman of the Piten TAO was identified as Suhaimee Senlae, 32, and the two students of an Islamic university were Kholid Samaeng, 24, and Madaree Maeroh, 23. The fourth man was identified as Saddam Wanu, 24.
Police officers of a special operations unit and the 41st Paramilitary Regiment raided a house under construction in Ban Toh Jood in tambon Piten early on Wednesday night after receiving a tip-off that suspected insurgents were hiding there.
As police arrived, a gunfight erupted, lasting more than two hours.
Of 27 suspects rounded up after the clash, five have been released, according to authorities.
Officers discovered three AK-47 assault rifles, a .38 pistol and a grenade at the scene.
Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) spokesman Banpot Poonpian said yesterday the officers were unharmed in the clash.
Deputy Defence Minister and army chief Gen Udomdej Sitabutr ordered the Isoc Region 4 Forward Command to beef up security in the face of possible retribution by insurgents.
"He emphasised that suspects should be treated in line with the law," Col Banpot said.
Gen Udomdej praised police and army officers for launching the operation.
According to an army intelligence officer, the raid was launched after officers were notified that four members of the Runda Kumpulan Kecil militant group were active at Ban Chama in Thung Yang Daeng district's tambon Namdum and were plotting a major offensive in the area.
Security elsewhere in the deep South has been beefed up following the clash.
In Narathiwat, police, army and administrative officers worked together to set up checkpoints on routes linking districts prone to unrest, to prevent retribution from insurgents.
Yala police chief Thanongsak Wangsupha yesterday ordered local officers to check motorists on key roads.