Suspected Muslim insurgents kill 5 troops in restive southern Thailand

Suspected insurgents kill 5 in Thailand’s south

PATTANI, Thailand — Suspected Muslim insurgents shot and killed five paramilitary troops in southern Thailand, where such violence has left thousands dead in the past five years, an army spokesman said Monday.

At least eight gunmen ambushed the troops Sunday evening in Yala province as they were walking from a mosque back to their base, army spokesman Col. Parinya Chaidilok said.

“The troops were at the mosque to eat the fast-breaking meal” during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Parinya said, adding that three victims were Buddhists and two were Muslim.

More than 3,700 people, both Muslims and Buddhists, have been killed since a Muslim insurgency flared in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces in January 2004.

Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala are the only Muslim-majority areas in the Buddhist-dominated country. Muslims there have long complained of discrimination by the central government.

The shadowy insurgents have made no public pronouncements but generally are believed to be fighting for an independent Muslim state. The area was an Islamic sultanate until Thailand annexed it in the early 20th century.

The militants target people working with the government, including soldiers, police, teachers and informants. They also stage attacks on civilians that are believed to be intended to scare the Buddhist community into fleeing.

The violence began to rise again this year with an average of 100 incidents a month — the highest monthly figure since 2007, according to Srisompob Jitpiromsri at Pattani’s Prince of Songkhla University.

More than 340 people have been killed since the beginning of 2009.

The paramilitary troops generally are residents hired as armed auxiliaries to the regular military. Thousands of such rangers have been deployed in the area. The military has recruited both Muslims and Buddhists, hoping their familiarity with the area and people will give authorities an edge over insurgents.

But many local Muslims hate the low-paid rangers, accusing them of abuses and human rights violations.