(VOVworld) – On Tuesday, suspected Muslim insurgents attacked police and a government office in the South of Thailand, killing one official as they seized hostages.

The police is investigating the site of a bomb attack in Narathiwat on December 12 (Photo: AFP)

Thailand's three southernmost provinces -  Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat - all majority Muslim, have been plagued by unrest since 2004, when a long dormant separatist rebellion resurfaced. More than 6,500 people have been killed since 2004 in the sporadic violence. After taking office in 2014, the current Thai military administration promised to restore peace in the southern region within a year. Thai Minister of Defense Prawit Wongsuwan has expressed optimism that the insurgency might be over by next year.