Security forces in S Thailand alert after clash with suspected militants

Involved security authorities Wednesday have been instructed to be careful and ready to handle a situation in the deep South after a clash with suspected insurgents on Tuesday, an army spokesman said.

On Tuesday in the clash with local security forces some six suspected militants were killed as the incident occurred in a village of Khok-phor district of Pattani province, Thai News Agency reported.

The security forces did not want the clash to occur, but it was unavoidable after the suspected insurgents refused to surrender following negotiation, Colonel Parinya Chaidilok, the spokesman of the Commander of Civilian-Police-Army United Force said.

Prior to the clash, a head of the village and their relatives were asked to help the security forces to convince the suspected militants to surrender, said Colonel Parinya.

Local people have well cooperated with the security authorities as they provided information concerning the local situation, which resulted in the easing of the problem, the spokesman explained.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Kasikorn Khirisri, the Commander of Civilian-Police-Army United Force, has instructed involved security authorities to be careful and ready to handle any situation, Colonel Parinya said.

Security is also to be ensured for the safety of the local community, said Colonel Parinya.

In related development, in a bid to collect additional information, security authorities Wednesday examined the clash scene, which included a house, in which the suspected insurgents stayed prior to the clash with the security forces.

Also, the house's underground was checked for possibly hidden weapons.

Thailand's deep South comprises mainly the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwas, and some four districts of Song-kla province.

Over 3,500 people have been killed by the daily violence attack by the suspected separatists since January 2004.

Source: Xinhua