The 4th Army on Wednesday continued hunting suspects responsible for Tuesday night's brutal gun attack on a security checkpoint in Yala's Muang district, which left 15 village defence volunteers dead and five others injured.

The 4th Army chief said a massive manhunt was being carried out for the attackers while efforts were being undertaken to provide care for the families of the victims.

He offered condolences to families which lost loved ones in the attack.

"This village has never before been considered a danger zone as there have been no reports of insurgent activity here previously," the chief said while visiting the scene of the carnage on Wednesday.

This latest attack pointed to a need to change security measures involving the use of defence volunteers in manning security checkpoints, he said.

Village defence volunteers have become a new target for southern insurgents, he said.