The Thai military killed five suspected drug traffickers in a jungle shootout in Thailand’s north, officials said Friday — the third such deadly clash in two months.
The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday morning in Chiang Rai province which is near the infamous “Golden Triangle” border region between Thailand, Laos and Myanmar — long a lucrative hub for the illegal drug trade.
A patrol encountered a group of five suspected smugglers with backpacks who refused to be searched and then started shooting with an unknown weapon, the military said.
“Narcotics have been very prevalent (at the border) but recently there has been an order from the commander to step up law enforcement efforts,” Premchai Premkamol, an officer with Pha Muang Task Force, told AFP
