[Bangkok Post] A key insurgent of the Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) southern insurgency network was gunned down in a clash with paramilitary rangers in Narathiwat Sunday. Three men have been arrested following the incident. Rueso district police chief Rueangsak Buadaeng said Ahama Maerao was killed by rangers in a house in tambon Batong. He spoke as he led a team of authorities including forensic scientists, doctors and prosecutors to inspect the house. The inspectors found Ahama lying dead in a pool of blood under a tree behind the house with three gun shot wounds to his back, ribs and torso.
Pasit Chanlekha, head of the 46th Ranger Taskforce, said a team of rangers had tracked the RKK network down in Rueso district three days ago after receiving a tip-off from an intel source. According to the agency, the network of four to six people was hatching a plot to carry out an attack in the district.
A search found suspects hiding on the second floor of the house in Bantamang village. The suspects were on the lookout and opened fire when they saw them approach. Authorities returned fire in an exchange that lasted around 10 minutes in which Ahama was shot and killed, Col. Pasit said. Authorities arrested three men in the incident, he added.
A resident of Narathiwat, Ahama was seen as a key figure in the RKK network and was wanted by Narathiwat and Yala police. The group is thought to have some six members and carries out attacks in those two provinces. It is not kmown how many of those arrested were regular members.