Security Officials On Alert In Thailand’s Deep South

SONGKHLA, April 27 (TNA) - Security officials and traders in four deep southern provinces of Thailand are on alert for any violence in the region as Monday marks the 10th anniversary of the Krue Se mosque massacre in which 32 Thai Muslims were killed in a government military operation, officials said on Sunday. Tourism operators and traders in Hat Yai district of Songkhla province, known as shopping paradise for tourists, cast sharp eyes on suspicious-looking people on fear of bloody violence in the area. Their alert comes after security authorities have warned concerned government agencies to step up security measures on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Krue Se incident which is still remembered well by insurgents operating in the violence-plagued region. Authorities are worried that insurgents may create violence in the four southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla during this period. Despite the uneasy atmosphere, a large number of Malaysian and Singaporean tourists are seen in Hat Yai early Sunday while defence volunteers patrol along the commercial area. More than 1,000 market vendors have volunteered to help inform police and army personnel on suspicious-looking vehicles and people. (TNA)