Security officers killed two wanted southern insurgents in Pattani province on Monday and found an assault rifle stolen during a lethal attack at a military unit over a decade ago, the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) announced on Tuesday.
Col Pramote Prom-in, spokesman of the Isoc's southern forward command, on Tuesday elaborated on a raid on a house to arrest two insurgents in Ban Tanyong Pao village in Tha Kamcham sub-district in Pattani's Nong Chik district on Monday.
He said raid led to a gunfight at house No 82 where the suspects were staying. After the shooting, two wanted insurgents were found dead.
Col Pramote Prom-in
Col Pramote identified the dead men as Muhammad Chitiloh, 35, of Muang Pattani district, and Muhammadpaosi Samoh, 36, of Khok Pho district. Both faced several arrest warrants for ambushes and bombings, killing government officials and innocent villagers, and damaging property in Pattani.
Muhammadpaosi was also a bomb maker, the spokesman said.
In the raid authorities arrested Lama-ae Salae, the 51-year-old owner of the house.
After the gunfight, Col Pramote said, authorities found three M16 rifles, two hand grenades and one homemade bomb. One of the M16 rifles had been stolen from a southern development centre of the military on April 28, 2003.
In the early morning on that day, about 15 insurgents attacked a military development centre in Sukhirin district of Narathiwat province, killing five marines, injuring one and robbing the unit of 15 M16 rifles.
At approximately the same time that day 15 other insurgents attacked another military development centre in Thanto district of Yala province. They wounded one soldier and stole 18 M16 rifles and two M203 grenade launchers.
