Three suspected insurgents killed in Pattani ahead of Srettha’s visit

Three suspected Muslim insurgents were on Thursday shot dead in a standoff with police and troops that began on Tuesday.

Security in the southern border province was stepped up ahead of a visit by the Thai and Malaysian prime ministers on Saturday.

As part of security tightening ahead of the scheduled visit by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, police and troops were dispatched to check several villages in the province.

On July 27, the authorities engaged in gunfire with a group of suspected insurgents while they were trying to enter and check Ban Klong Chang village in Tambon Naket of Pattani’s Khok Pho district.

The standoff continued until the authorities could enter the village on Thursday morning and found three bodies, which were sent to the Khok Pho hospital.

The three slain suspects were identified as Tuan-Adol Mani, 26, Robi Waesama-ae, 30, and Ismail Jaleh, 30.

The security forces remained in the village on Thursday to try to check the whereabouts of other suspects.