Three separatist bandits and a soldier were killed and one policeman wounded in two related incidents in Narathiwat province Monday.
Pol Lt Marut Nilkosee, a duty officer at Rueso district police station, the first incident occurred at about 11.15am when Pol L/Cpl Asming Yuso, of Kota Baru police station, was attacked by a group of militants who opened fire on his Toyota Vios on the road between Sato and Salo villages in tambon Rueso while he was returning home for the Hari Raya.
The policeman was wounded. His car was riddled with bullet holes and its windshield shattered. A motorcycle of a villlager was accidentally hit by the policeman's car and damaged.
The ambush took place about 200 meters from a joint-operations base of Rangers Company 4910 and Infantry Company 15133, prompting the two companies to despatch one operational team each to the scene.
A clash between the two teams of soldiers and the militants followed for about five minutes. Three militants were killed. One soldier, Chief Warrant Officer Chainarong Wongsarat was seriously wounded and admitted to Rueso Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The first militant who was killed in the clash was later identified as Safwan Salae, who is on record as a bomb-making expert. The second was Abdulloh Yunu, a commanding level militant. An Uzi assault rifle was found by his body.
The body of the militant Abdulropha Salaeru was found nearby, with an 11mm pistol.
Pol Lt Gen Suchart Thirasawat, deputy commander of the police operation centre of the southern border provinces, ordered a joint police, military and civilian force to comb the area and nearby villages for the fleeing militants.