Drug and contraband goods problems were major factors which have caused the ongoing violence in restive southern Thailand, Thai Army Chief said on Wednesday, Thai News Agency reported.

Army Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha on Wednesday morning spoke to media before leaving Bangkok for restive southern province of Pattani with Deputy Prime Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa to follow up security-related policy implementation.

Gen Prayuth said that the connections between drug smuggling and suspected insurgent groups were a major problem which made it difficult to solve the disturbances. Retaliation by suspected insurgents against government officials resulted from drug sweep operations, the army chief said, adding that drug rings have linked with syndicates of suspected insurgents.

Regarding troop withdrawals from the violence-plagued southern zones, Gen Prayuth said the military personnel were ready to withdraw from the areas only if all concerned agencies were able to handle the situations.

He argued that police and village defence volunteers on their own are unable to cope with the violent incidents.

On March 13, the Cabinet approved further extension of the emergency decree in the three southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat for another three months.

The resurgence of the insurgency in the far South in 2004 has claimed more than 5,000 lives of residents, government officials and suspected insurgents themselves.