The uniforms worn by the 16 militants killed in their attack on a military base in Narathiwat show the insurgents in the far South have formed a "Pattani army", a military source says.
He said the uniforms mean southern insurgents have set up their own force, even though the militants wore uniforms used by Thai soldiers.
Uniforms boost their courage and morale making them feel they are soldiers of a Pattani army, said the source who is a unit commander in the area.
However, the insurgents have not yet established a permanent base there, he said.
If they set up a permanent base in the forest, it would be a stationary target for attack by state authorities, the source said.
Insurgents still mingle among residents. "They reveal themselves when they launch attacks and afterwards they return home," the source said.
Often, insurgents wear military uniforms in attacks on residents, a tactic to make people think the destruction was the work of state soldiers, he said.
Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat said military uniforms are widely available in markets.
"Some people like to wear military uniforms, but insurgents buy them and dress like soldiers to wage violence," ACM Sukumpol said.
ACM Sukumpol said the 16 dead militants were proof that insurgents in the far South pose as soldiers to attack locals to tarnish the reputation of soldiers.