Thailand: five soldiers allegedly killed by Islamic insurgents

Gunmen in a pickup truck and motorcycles killed five soldiers at a south Thailand military outpost Wednesday evening, a Thai Army spokesman said.

Two other soldiers at the outpost were wounded, said Col. Somkuan Saengpataranetr.

The attackers, believed to be Islamic insurgents, shot the men with assault rifles and then escaped, laying metal spikes and logs on the road to thwart pursuers, Somkuan said.

Wednesday's attack took place in the southern province of Narathiwat.

The victims were members of the paramilitary Ranger force, as were four other soldiers killed in an ambush last week in nearby Yala province. AM