Twelve soldiers were injured when militants attacked two military outposts on Friday in restive southern Thailand's Narathiwat province, Bangkok Post online reported.

The attackers targeted a military base and the operations command post of the Narathiwat 32 special task force in Bacho district.

Bullet holes were seen in the walls and bunkers at the two military posts.

Witnesses told police that about 50 armed militants were involved in the attack with M79 grenades and assault weapons. The soldiers on duty there fired back.

The militants fell trees and blasted power poles to block the road leading to the outposts to prevent reinforcement. The attackers fled after a 20-minute gunfight.

Since the resurgence of insurgency in 2004, there have been around 11,000 violent incidents instigated by secessionists in the Muslim-dominant southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, with almost 5,000 people killed.