3,380 killed in nine years of violence

On anniversary of 2004 Narathiwat raid, injury count stands at 8,388

A total of 3,380 people have been killed and 8,388 wounded in terror attacks since the resumption of insurgent violence in the deep South nine years ago today, according to figures released yesterday by the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre.

The attacks included 2,480 roadside and vehicular bombings, the centre said.

Of the 1,629 assault rifles and handguns seized by insurgents during their attacks - including 413 M16 rifles taken in the January 4, 2004, raid on a Narathiwat Army depot that re-ignited the insurgency - only 508 have been retrieved.

Of the 501 security-related criminal cases brought to court, 304 - or 60.6 per cent - ended in acquittals, resulting in 780 suspected insurgents walking free.

The budget for operations to contain the violence and carry out development projects next year will reach a record Bt21.124 billion, compared with Bt16.277 billion last year and Bt13.45 billion in 2004.



In all, 8,778 security-related legal cases were reported, along with 109,043 general criminal cases or cases not yet classified as either common crimes or insurgency-related. Of the security-related cases, 2,079 were committed by known insurgents while the remaining 6,699, or 76.32 per cent, were committed by insurgents not known to authorities.

In the 2,079 cases, 1,472 suspects have been arrested or are in custody, while 607 are on the run.

Identified insurgents number 9,822, comprising 310 religious leaders and clerics; 207 at the command level; 1,113 core leaders; and 2,262 specially trained RKK commandos, with the remainder being sympathisers or supporters.

Cases of violence broke down as follows: 7,014 shootings; 2,480 bombings; 1,513 cases of arson; 92 other types of murders; 171 raids to steal guns; 65 protests; 301 assaults; 2,197 acts of disturbance; 219 gunfights; and seven others.