For the people – both civilians and military alike – in the restive deep south who are used to violence perpetrated by Islamic militants and rogue security forces on daily basis, the fact that there was not a single violent incident on the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 10th of November came as a total surprise although welcoming.

The car bomb which went off in front of a cock fighting ring in Tambon Na Pradoo, Kok Po district of Pattani on July 23, killing two people and wounding eight others, including a 12-year girl was the second of its kind this year in the three southernmost provinces and the 42nd since 2004.

The fragile ceasefire in the Deep South during the holy month of Ramadan was shattered Thursday morning when a roadside bomb detonated by suspected militants exploded on a road in Yala’s Raman district injuring eight troopers assigned to protect teachers.

Although Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung is yet to pay his first visit the restive deep South in his capacity as the new boss in charge of security affairs there, he has already visited Malaysia to seek Kuala Lumpur’s help to solve the unrest problem as well as the problem about southern Malay Muslims working in "tom yam kung" restaurants in Malaysia.

Five children were killed and three others injured in nine violent incidents which occurred in the far South during last December and January this year. The dead victims included three brothers of the Mamun family aged from 6 to 11 who were shot dead by unknown gunmen who raided their house in Ban Palookapaeroh, Bacho district of Narathiwat on February 3.