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| Southeast Asia | |
| Four Thai troops killed in rebel attacks | |
| 2003-04-28 | |
| Two groups of heavily armed gunmen attacked military outposts in southern Thailand early Monday, killing four Thai soldiers and wounding four others in coordinated attacks suspected to be linked to Muslim insurgency. Police said about 20 insurgents attacked a military post in Sukhirin District of Narathiwat province and killed four soldiers and wounded two others. At about the same time, another band of gunmen attacked an outpost in the neighboring province of Yala, severely wounding two Thai soldiers. After both raids the gunmen ransacked the military outposts, stealing 30 M-16 rifles, an M-79 grenade launcher and other military equipment before escaping into the jungle. Military officials said the identity of the attackers was unknown, but Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra blamed Muslim separatist insurgents who have been fighting to create an Islamic republic in Thailand's five predominantly Muslim provinces since the 1970s. Thailand's population of 63 million is more than 90 percent Buddhist, but the Muslim minority of about 7 percent is concentrated mainly in the southern provinces bordering Malaysia. So of course they want their own state Speaking to reporters in the sea-side resort of Hua Hin, south of Bangkok, Thaksin said he believed the attackers were connected with the Pattani United Liberation Organization, the best-known of several militant Muslim groups in the south. Thaksin said the insurgents were apparently trying to justify funding from like-minded Muslim militants in the Middle East. He did not say which country was backing the rebels. Oh, but I'll bet we can guess. Some place with a lot of sand, oil money, and ranting holy men. Thaksin said Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh had been ordered to take charge of a campaign to wipe out the militants. He said no mercy would be shown to the rebels because their activities had seriously undermined security in the south. Hurts the tourist trade. Thaksin also blamed Muslim militants for mob violence in Narathiwat last Saturday that killed two Thai policemen. Muslim militants + mob = violence
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| Posted by:Steve |