Army set to send cavalry as militants step up attacks
The Thai Army is considering mobilising one or two more cavalry battalions from Phetchabun province to assist the Fourth Army Area with operations in the three southernmost provinces amid reports of militants intensifying their attacks, a senior military officer said.
The Army is concerned that the militants will create such chaos that villagers would be forced to take up arms against state agencies as a form of mass protest, the source said. He pointed to the stockpiling of rice and dry foods in the villages amid reports that more attacks are on the way, the source said. About 14,000 troops are currently stationed in the restive region. A separate task force of about 1,000 soldiers from the Special Warfare Unit are also in the region carrying out psychological operations aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the local community, the vast majority of whom are Muslims of Malay ethnicity.
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