More on the reckless Thai jihad. “Two soldiers beheaded in Muslim southern Thailand,” from Reuters, February 2:
BANGKOK, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Suspected Muslim rebels killed and then decapitated two Thai paramilitary rangers on Monday in the Muslim-majority far south, which has been plagued by five years of separatist unrest, police said.
“They were both shot dead while they were riding out of the village and were then decapitated,” a policeman, who did not wish to be identified, told Reuters.
The head of one of the soldiers, a Muslim, was removed from the scene, while that of his Buddhist colleague was burnt along with his body and motorbike, the officer said.
There was no claim of responsibility, a feature common to all the attacks that have claimed more than 3,000 lives in Thailand’s four southernmost provinces since 2003.
The region abutting the Malaysian border was a Muslim sultanate until annexed by predominantly Buddhist Bangkok a century ago. Since then it, has been plagued by intermittent unret.
The majority of the population are Muslim and Malay-speaking, and have few links to the rest of Thailand.
The violence has ranged from drive-by shootings and bombings or beheadings, and appears to target both Buddhist and Muslims associated with the Thai state. Police, soldiers, government officials and teachers are frequent victims…
The former infidels, the latter apostates — both enemies to jihadis.