Feb 15, '13

Weakness exposed in Thai insurgency
By Anthony Davis

In a nearly decade-long separatist conflict in southern Thailand which the military has been routinely surprised, bloodied and humiliated, the clash in Narathiwat province in the early hours of February 13 marked a rare reversal of roles. On the basis of solid operational intelligence and well-honed tactical skills, Royal Thai Marine Corps (RTMC) troops backed by naval special forces broke up a major insurgent assault on a camp, inflicting what was arguably the worst battlefield reverse the insurgents have suffered to date.

Most immediately, the loss of 16 dead including a senior local commander and a similar number of firearms delivers a significant psychological and practical blow to the insurgent movement in the strategically important central Narathiwat area. However, the incident has also highlighted longer-term strategic problems confronting the Malay-Muslim separatist revolt that will likely shape the future of the conflict.

Launched at 1:00 am, the insurgent attack had planned to storm a RTMC rifle company base in Barei Neua sub-district of Narathiwat's Bacho district. The operation, involving an estimated 50 to 60 well-armed guerrillas in military fatigues and ballistic vests, was the latest in a series of large-scale attacks on security force bases in the province, aimed primarily at seizing weapons.
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http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-01-150213.html