Two suspected terrorists were killed in a shootout with security forces in southern Thailand.

Soldiers surrounded a property in Pattani province where the men were staying on Thursday morning, March 14, at 5 am.

However, the suspects opened fire around two hours later causing chaotic scenes as the military launched tear gas into the home.

An intense shootout followed lasting around five minutes and the two suspects were killed while they attempted to flee.

Sathirapong Ajhan, commander of the forces in the southern border provinces, said: 'The suspects were named on arrest warrants. Our team had failed to negotiate with the men and returned fire only when they first began shooting.'

Islamic separatist terror attacks target the three southernmost provinces of Thailand - Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat - next to the border with Mulsim neighbors Malaysia. Thai state employees and infrastructure are often hit while attacks on civilians are rare.

Officials believe the conflict dates to a deal in 1909 that the British Empire struck to incorporate the Muslim region into the Siamese mainland.

The region's culture is more similar to Malaysia and dramatically different to Buddhist Thais causing decades of tension that lead to the emergence of separatist groups fighting for independence in the 1960s.

The struggle has continued ever since with more than 7,344 people killed and 13,641 injured between January 2004 and March 2022.

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office warns against all but essential travel to the region while Canada's government warns its nationals to 'avoid all travel' to the three provinces.