A 50-strong combined military and police force apprehended two suspected militants in a search of a house in Narathiwat's Rueso district early Friday morning, but the man targetted in the raid escaped, reports said.
The search followed information that a leading member of the RKK separatist group planned to rendezvous with his wife at the house in Moo 7 village in tambon Batong.
The authorities rounded up two men - Roning Rohing, 30, and Abdulkoder Woma, 37 - in the search and seized three motorcycles.
Another man, Abdulrohing Dahiso, a leading member of the RKK, managed to escape before the raid.
Roning Rohing is wanted under six arrest warrants, five in security-related cases and one for violation of the emergency decree.
Under one of the warrants, issued by the Narathiwat Court, Rohing is wanted for an attack on the office of the Samakki tambon administration organisation on Feb 16, 2006 in which Pol Sr Sgt Maj Samart Intamano, leader of a police team for providing security for teachers, was killed.
He is also wanted for an attack on Feb 16, 2010 in which two soldiers of Narathiwat Task Force 30 were killed near Ban Ire Chuna in tambon Khok Sator of Narathiwat's Rueso district.