Khok pho: Joint forces surrounded a suspected house in Ban Tha Khlong, Khok Pho district, and engaged in a fierce gun battle with a group dressed as paramilitary rangers after hour-long negotiations failed. After the gunfire ceased, two insurgents were found dead. One has been identified as a high-ranking leader linked to a motorcycle bomb attack in March 2026.
According to Thai News Agency, on June 4, 2026, security forces, including the military, Joint Special Operations Unit, police, and local administration officials, conducted a coordinated law enforcement operation and surrounded and searched a target area in Ban Tha Khlong, Village No. 10, Khok Pho Subdistrict, Khok Pho District, Pattani Province. This operation stemmed from intelligence reports indicating that a group of violent insurgents, both operational and command levels, had moved into the area to plan a new wave of attacks. The operation began in the early morning, with officers surrounding a suspected residence. They implemented a minimally restrictive approach, inviting local leaders and religious figures to participate in negotiations and persuade those hiding inside to surrender and face justice, in an attempt to avoid casualties on all sides.
However, negotiations dragged on for hours without success. Those inside the house then fired shots to clear a path for escape, leading to intermittent exchanges of gunfire amidst a tense atmosphere. Authorities cordoned off the village and prohibited unauthorized persons from approaching the scene. After the gunfire subsided, officers secured the area and cleared the surroundings. Initial reports confirm two insurgents were killed at the scene, and a number of firearms and ammunition were seized.
Initial document and personal identification checks have identified one deceased individual, Mr. Muslim, a suspect wanted on multiple security-related charges and a high-ranking leader in the area. The identity of the other deceased individual is yet to be officially confirmed. Forensic officers (Region 10) and forensic pathologists are currently collecting DNA samples to verify their identities. A senior military official from a security agency revealed that the perpetrators killed in this operation belonged to the same insurgent network primarily operating in Khok Pho District and the border area of Thepha District, Songkhla Province.