One of the deadliest such occurrences in years, according to the army, claimed the lives of five Thai soldiers in a shooting and bombing at a checkpoint in the country's insurgency-affected south.
The attack on Wednesday night in Narathiwat province, one of three Muslim-majority districts plagued by a decades-long separatist conflict, also injured six civilians, according to local officials.
Six black-clad suspects appeared to be traveling in a black pickup vehicle at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday (11:45 GMT), according to a screenshot of CCTV footage shared on the Narathiwat authorities' Facebook page.
According to the post, authorities had blocked off the area after the suspects escaped into a nearby region.The army stated in a statement late on Wednesday that members of Task Force Ranger Regiment 45 "were killed when assailants opened fire and threw pipe bombs at the Bukeh Sami checkpoint... while they were on duty protecting local residents."
Six civilians were injured, according to the province of Narathiwat's public relations department, which also stated that no group had taken credit and that no arrests had been made.
According to the province's Public Relations Department, Narathiwat Governor Boonchuay Homyamyen visited the injured at a hospital, including a 10-year-old kid who had a leg wound.
Since 2004, rebels in the Muslim-majority southern provinces of Thailand have been fighting for more autonomy in a low-level insurgency that has killed over 7,000 people.

According to monitoring group ACLED, a gang of Malay Muslim separatists opened fire and tossed grenades at a checkpoint in the southernmost province of Yala in 2019, killing fifteen persons, including members of the local security forces, and injuring five more.
According to ACLED, the rebel organization Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) was blamed by Thai authorities.
Amnesty International human rights researcher Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong told AFP that although attacks in the deep south of Thailand often target security officers, the Wednesday incident was "different in terms of death tolls and young civilians that were injured from crossfire."In remembrance of those slain on Wednesday, the army declared, "Their service and sacrifice will be remembered and honoured with the highest respect."
In a Facebook post late on Wednesday, opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut denounced the attack and expressed regret for the five soldiers' deaths.
He called on the prime minister to "expedite efforts to identify and prosecute the suspects, while providing assistance to those affected and the families of the victims" and encouraged the Thai government to take immediate action.