Gunmen struck at a border checkpoint and killed 15 people on Tuesday in southern Thailand in the worst outbreak of violence many years.
The checkpoint, located in the Muang Yala District in Yala Province was being guarded by police officers, village security men, and other security personnel.
7 of the victims were pronounced dead in hospital while 8 of them died on the spot.
"Everywhere I stepped with my feet, it was all blood,” said Saritphan Sae-jang, who is a rescue worker told members of the press.
The attackers scattered nails and fallen trees on the scene of the attack with the aim of thwarting rescue efforts.
The director of Deep South Watch Srisompob Jitpiromsri said that even though there had been a reduction of violence in Thailand, insurgent groups still pose a threat to national security.
“The number of violent incidents has decreased over the past three or four years but the movement of insurgent cells is alive and well,” he said.
“The military doesn’t know exactly whom to talk to, whom to negotiate with, whom it’s fighting, so it spends a lot of money on security with marginal, insignificant returns, " he added.
The central government has been giving village volunteers a level of military training to enable them thwart attacks from the insurgent groups.
Rebels have been seeking autonomy from Thailand and have been staging attacks to express their frustrations.