A member of the RKK separatist group was killed and a policeman wounded in a firefight early Sunday morning at a village in Ruso district of Narathiwat province.
The militant killed was identified as Tuwaedunan Nima, an RKK member wanted under an arrest warrant dated June 30, 2009 on charges of attempted murder and resisting arrest and violating the emergency decree.
The firefight took place at about 5.30am after Pol Maj-Gen Suchart Thirasawat, deputy police inspector-general, and Lt-Col Thanit Saengchan, deputy commander of the 46th Rangers Regiment, led a combined police-military unit to lay siege to House No 2/5 in Village Group 7 of tambon Ruso on a tip-off that Tuwaedunan was hiding there.
On being told to surrender, the suspect climbed up into the roof of the house to hide and then opened fire. A gunfight then broke out.
During the battle, Tuwaedunan threw an M67 hand grenade at security officials. Pol Cpl Surasak Chandaeng was wounded in the grenade explosion.
Tuwaedunan was killed in a hail of bullets. His body was found on the roof of the house with a .38 pistol in his hand. A cloth bag containing a number of .38 and M16 ammunition was recovered near to the body.
The house was riddled with bullets and a pickup truck parked in front was also damaged.