Security in the deep South has been tightened as authorities have warned of possible insurgent attacks on the Tak Bai massacre anniversary next week.
Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said the warning has been issued as bomb attacks have taken place in the region every Oct 25 for the past five years.
Before the deaths: Troops detain and strip protesters at Tak Bai, before they were loaded on a truck and died. (Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)
More than 80 Muslim protesters suffocated while being trucked to an army camp in Narathiwat.
The intelligence agency has detected some insurgent activity, Gen Yutthasak said, adding that security officials have been ordered to take all necessary precautions.
Gen Yutthasak spoke before attending a meeting of a committee on policy and strategy mobilisation in solving the unrest in the southern border provinces yesterday.
The key agenda was to follow up the establishment of an integrated command centre to handle the unrest.
The deputy prime minister also said deep South insurgents had spread information through various websites.
Intelligence agencies and the Information and Communication Technology Ministry will be asked to handle the cyber cases, Gen Yutthasak said.
Meanwhile, a paramilitary ranger was seriously wounded when a roadside bomb exploded in Kabang district of Yala province yesterday, police said.
Seven members of Ranger Company 4701 were patrolling along the Bannang Dama-Lubobanyang Road at Ban Lubobanyang in tambon Kabang when the bomb went off.
Ranger Chokanand Sinniew, 26, was seriously injured and taken to Kabang hospital, Pol Lt Chatuporn Benjakul of Kabang police station said.
Police blamed militants of the Runda Kumpulan Kecil movement.
In Narathiwat's Rangae district, paramilitary rangers yesterday were hunting three insurgent leaders in Tanyong Limor village.
Abdulmana Sama, Areeya Teengi and Abdulhagim Buta are thought to have been responsible for several attacks since Oct 11 which have killed eight people, authorities said.
They were believed to be hiding in a house belonging to one of their networks in preparation for an assault, officials said. Vehicles coming in and out of the village were checked, and helicopters were deployed in the search for the suspects.