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Thai army claims progress against southern jihadis
More local residents in the troubled southern provinces are now cooperating with government authorities, and internal conflicts are believed to be growing within the militant ranks, a Thai Army spokesman said Monday, suggesting that increasing numbers of them now want to desert their fighting groups. Royal Thai Army Col. Akara Thiprote said during a programme broadcast on Modernine TV (Channel 9) that the improving cooperation being given by villagers in the violence-plagued South to officials is evidenced by the arrest of 46 suspected insurgents in Yi-ngo district of Narathiwat province on Sunday.Also, several of the suspected militant detainees had offered a good cooperation before they were arrested, showing that there is an internal conflict within the militants, and that many of them do not wish to commit further mistakes against the government, said Col. Akara, adding that many insurgents remain with the militants for fear of retribution if they leave the influential militant leaders. Five of the 46 suspected militants detained Sunday proved to be core leaders of the especially hard-line Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) militant group operating in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. One of the detained five militant leaders was identified as Abdul Romae Pereesee, who reportedly plays a central role among the insurgents, according to Col. Akara, as many youths were forced to join the militant groups after insurgents threatened to harm their relatives. He said Sunday's lightning arrests were made after security officials learned that the militants would launch major attacks in Narathiwat in August and that the militant leaders would first assemble in Yi-ngo district to plan their offensive. More arrests will be made later as intelligence officials learned that other militant factions plan to create violence in the restive South, he added. Posted by: ryuge 2007-07-30 |
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