(6 Nov 2019) Gunmen in insurgency-wracked southern Thailand killed 15 village defence volunteers and wounded five security personnel in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on government forces since the separatist rebellion began 15 years ago. Thailand's volunteer forces in the south are raised from villages and receive weapons training from the army but no salary.
They are usually issued shotguns but often carry personal handguns, and only guard their own villages rather than seek to confront the insurgents.
Most insurgents appear to be linked to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional - BRN - the most influential of the separatist groups, though local members operate with some autonomy.
They are known for hit-and-run attacks, such as drive-by shootings and ambushes with roadside bombs, as well as occasional coordinated attacks when seeking to make a political point with a show of strength.
More than 7,000 people have been killed since the insurgency erupted in 2004 in Thailand's three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala, the only ones with Muslim majorities in the Buddhist-dominant country.
Muslim residents have long charged that they are treated like second-class citizens, and separatist movements have been periodically active for decades.
Heavy-handed crackdowns have fueled the discontent.
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