Mr Thaksin said the attackers were hoping for a reward

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra accused foreign-backed militants for the raids near the Malaysian border.

Unidentified gunmen entered the bases in Narathiwat and Yala and stole a total 31 automatic rifles, officials said.

The pre-dawn raids came in a Muslim-dominated area which has seen sporadic attacks on schools, transport facilities and the police over the past decade.

'Middle East link'

Mr Thaksin said he believed the attacks - on a marine psychological operations unit and an army base - were a continuation of work against the government of the mostly Buddhist country.

"They are well-trained militants crossing from Malaysia to Thailand to stir up chaos in exchange for financial reward from some Middle East countries," he said without elaborating.

"I think lack of co-ordination between our intelligence unit and local government officials has made them ill-prepared for the attacks by the militants," he added.

Chronic small-scale violence flared up last year with a wave of school arson attacks, bombings and killings of police officers.

Various reasons have been put forward for the unrest, including the possibility of religious strife. Separatist tension plagued the southern provinces in the 1980s.

But some officials insist the crimes are carried out merely by bandits, possibly linked to drug-trafficking.