Tiny Minority of Extremists Update: “South militants number 3,000,” from Thailand’s The Nation, with thanks to Nicolei:
There are as many as 3,000 militants supporting the violence in the restive South, Ninth Police Region Commander Adul Saengsingkeow said yesterday.
The militants are divided into 500 groups with five or six members in each group spread throughout about 500 villages in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, he said.
Adul said the militants were behind 63 explosions between June 15 and 16 across 31 districts of the South , which claimed three lives and injured nearly 30 people.
Adul outlined the structure of the organisation, but did not name it. According to Adul’s reports the organisation is made up of five divisions: the Ulama, Political, Economic, RKK and Permuda units.
Adul said the Ulama unit’s function is to indoctrinate and recruit youngsters.