[BenarNews] Four militants and a Thai paramilitary soldier died Wednesday in a shootout in the mountains of Narathiwat province, a day after two paramilitary soldiers died in a roadside attack elsewhere in southern Thailand. The four rebels who were killed in the gun battle in Ban Aigis mountains were suspected of having taken part in the seizure by rebels of a local hospital.The killings over a two day period brought to 44 the number of people who have died since February 10 in a surge of violence linked to southern Thailand's long-running separatist insurgency.
Wednesday's firefight broke out as the Narathiwat Task Force was hunting down suspected rebels. The paramilitary soldier who was killed was identified as Anusak Amrod, and two of the dead militants were identified as Lugman Latehbuering and Bueraheng Arwaema. Lugman and Bueraheng were wanted for their suspected roles in the seizure of a hospital in Cho-irong district on March 13.
Three or four other rebels were wounded, but managed to escape.
On Tuesday night, two paramilitary soldiers died after being hit by a roadside bomb and then shot in Narathawit's Ra-ngae district. Military officials found a motorbike along the road, and later found the bodies of paramilitaries Sirawut Nuanwong and Chakpong Chaipat, whose weapons had been taken.