NARATHIWAT: One man was shot dead and two others arrested during an armed clash with rangers following an attack on a defence volunteer outpost in Yi-ngo district overnight.
Police received a report about 7.44pm on Thursday that a bomb had been thrown at a defence volunteer outpost in tambon Luborbaya, Pol Col Warong Kerdsawat, chief of Yi-ngo police, said on Friday. No-one was hurt.
Police were deployed to hunt down the attackers, said to number six men on three motorcycles.
Shortly afterwards, rangers patrolling at Ba-ngo village, about a kilometre from the bomb scene, spotted the attackers. They moved in to stop them, and were met with gunfire.
The two sides exchanged shots for about five minutes, and then the return fire ceased.
The rangers moved forward. They arrested two men and found another man shot dead. Three others managed to flee. The patrol seized one assault rifle and the three motorbikes. No rangers were injured.
Authorities believed the gunmen were linked to the southern insurgency.
Fourth Army chief Lt Gen Kriangkrai Srirak ordered all units in the border province on full alert against further attacks.