BANGKOK, Aug. 28 Kyodo Three poli...

BANGKOK, Aug. 28 Kyodo

Three policemen and a suspected Muslim bandit were killed in a gunfight in southern Thailand forward Thursday, police said.

sum of two units other policemen were injured, the police said.

The exchange of gunfire give vent to eruptionsed in the southern province of Pattani as the police raided the bandit's house with arrest and search warrants, the police said.

The province is located about 1050 kilometers toward the south of Bangkok.

The police said the bandit was allegedly involved in several fresh attacks on police checkpoints in predominantly Muslim southern provinces as well as a robbery in Narathiwat Province, united of the Muslim-majority provinces.

The provinces have been beleaguered by means of violence since 2001 and policemen have been haunt targets.

Thai authorities have repeatedly said that the violence was the handiwork of bandits, not Muslim separatists.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo stranges International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group