Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says foreign terrorist groups are not behind the ongoing strife in Thailand's Muslim-majority south.
Mr. Thaksin told reporters Tuesday that the conflict is probably the work of Thai Muslims who study abroad and form connections with Islamic radicals. He did not elaborate.
Hundreds of people have been killed since January when an insurgency flared up in Thailand's three Muslim-majority southern provinces.
Last month, 87 Muslim protesters were killed when police broke up a riot in southern Narathiwat province. Seventy-eight of the victims died after being crammed into police trucks for hours.
Information for this report is provided by AP and Reuters.