Three people were killed in two separate shootings in Pat-tani's Kok Pho and Panare districts, while drive-by shootings killed two people in Yala and Narathiwat. Four other people were injured in attacks in the three southernmost provinces, police said.

Local officials said the killings were likely to be in revenge for the loss of five militants in a clash with Army rangers on Taway mountain in Narathiwat's Rangae district last week.

The authorities need to adjust operations to prevent such retaliations as the rangers inflicted heavy damage on the militant groups, said Army spokesman Akra Thiproj.

"We have to work closely with local residents, to have a presence in remote areas and to monitor movements of the militants closely," he said.

Meanwhile, a joint police-military operation yesterday raided a village in Songkhla's Thepa district and arrested five people for allegedly having a connection with the five

militants who were killed on Taway.

They are Abdullah Kosorli, Yakarilya Hajiteh, Muhamad Hajiteh, Kamaruding Yosoh and Manaseh Bueraheng. All are Narathiwat residents.

They will be detained for questioning for seven days and released if no solid evidence was found to link them to the militants, police said.