Two suspected militants were killed in gun battle with rangers on a highway in Narathiwat's Cho Airong district Tuesday.
The chase and fire-fight began around 1.15pm when a pickup truck carrying several men sped past a checkpoint on Cho Airong-Sungai Padi Road near Ban Chokro in tambon Bukit.
The checkpoint was manned by rangers from the 48th Ranger Regiment. Six rangers pursued the vehicle on three motorcycles.
The men in the pickup, suspected to be militants, stopped in front of a tambon hospital near Ban Pare Lubo and opened fire at the soldiers. The soldiers went down to take positions on one side of the road and returned fire.
Following a brief clash, some of the suspects fled, leaving behind the bodies of two colleagues shot to death. Those killed were later identified as Sama-ae Palamubing, 39, and Mayuti Etae, 39, both of Narathiwat's Rangae district. Both were wanted in many security-related cases.
Found in the pickup was a box containing assorted ammunition, backpacks and some cloth.
A ranger, Win Nakju, was slightly wounded in his left hand.