BANGKOK

Two days after a soldier shot four comrades dead in Thailand’s insurgency-plagued south, the country’s army chief has ordered the deployment of psychiatrists and counsellors to help troops cope with the pressures of facing elusive rebels and near daily attacks.

"Soldiers serving in the far south face a hard task, with tough goals, and also have to cope with personal and family matters. This imposes a lot of stress on them," General Udomdej Sitabutr told local media Friday.

On Wednesday evening, an army ranger opened fire on colleagues during a drinking session at a military base in Pattani province, before shooting himself in the mouth -- resulted in a serious injury. Three of the troops were killed on the spot while one died at a hospital.

The unit had arrived in Pattani a month ago from their former base in northeastern Thailand.

A detachment of military psychiatrists and religious officials will be tasked with talking to soldiers to help them cope with pressure.

On Thursday, Udomdej ordered commanders to provide their troops with moral support, according to spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree, who warned that pressure from supervisors and a heavy workload could cause stress for soldiers.

The provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have been facing a rejuvenated separatist insurgency since January 2004 that has killed more than 6,000 people and injured at least 10,700.

Around 60,000 military personnel have been deployed across the region amid regular attacks against civilians and security forces.

Although insurgents have never made their political goals clear, analysts say some want a separation from the Thai state while others are asking for greater autonomy.

The region was an independent sultanate until the 19th century and was only formally annexed by Buddhist-majority Siam (Thailand's previous name) under the terms of a 1909 Anglo Siamese agreement. Eighty percent of the population, however, remains Muslim, maintaining Malay as its first language.

www.aa.com.tr/en