Eight Thai soldiers were injured when their armoured vehicle plunged into a ravine during clashes with suspected insurgents.

The military truck tumbled into a steep valley after suffering a brake malfunction in Songkhla province near the border with Malaysia on Thursday morning.

The troops were providing reinforcements following intelligence there were alleged terrorists in the area.

Officials said four soldiers suffered minor wounds and four others were hospitalised. One was seriously injured.

Investigators believe the driver was unfamiliar with the route and had been speeding to reach the scene.

An army spokesman said militants in the village later opened fire on security forces, sparking a tense gunfight.

He said: 'We have closed off the access roads in the village and deployed personnel to keep people out. So far, there are no reports of injuries or fatalities, but the suspects are still firing from inside the area.'

Authorities said the situation was under control with no reports of fatalities or injuries.

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.