The Runda Kumpulan Kecil (translation: "Small Patrol Units", RKK) is a militant Islamic insurgent group operating in Southern Thailand.
The RKK has been one of the most brutal and active violent groups of the South Thailand insurgency in recent years.
History
The RKK was founded by young Salafi members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional-Koordinasi (BRN-C) in 2000 that had received military training in Indonesia. Therefore, it is still considered by some analysts as an offshoot of the Pejuang Kemerdekaan Patani connected to the BRN-C, and not as an independent organisation.
The RKK is based on well-trained, ruthless and effective commando-style groups, named 'small patrol units' (Runda Kumpulan Kecil) after the description of their month-long military training course. Estimates range of 500 members. Captured members have confessed to the Thai authorities that they routinely flee to Malaysia after carrying out violent attacks in Yala, Pattani or Narathiwat Province. Although several RKK members have been arrested or killed by the Thai military in the past decade, it is very difficult for those involved in counter-insurgency to penetrate the structure of the group owing to its secrecy and great mobility.
Leadership
There is very little information about the leadership and structure of the RKK due to its very secretive and non-hierarchical nature. However, the group does place a lot of value on education (specifically religious education); in fact, their leader is referred to as an Ustaz (which means teacher).
Rorhing Ashong
The only known leader of the RKK is Rorhing Ahsong, also known as Ustaz Rorhing (aka "teacher" Rorhing).
Sapee-aree Jehkor
In July 2006, the Royal Thai Police arrested two supposed members of the RKK, one of which was Sapee-aree Jekhor. He is thought to be a very important member of the group, however, the extent of his participation is still unknown.
Zulkifli Abdhir
Zulkifli Abdhir (also Zulfiki Bin Hir, Marwan, etc.) was thought to have been associated with the RKK, although the link is still uncertain.
Methods
Type of attack
The RKK predominately resorts to bombings as their main form of attack. From 2008 (the year of the first reported incident) to 2017, the group has conducted 171 attacks. Approximately 133 of these (78 per cent) were bombings. After this, armed assault is the second most used type of attack; however, only 28 of these (16 per cent) have been by this method. The remaining attacks are facility/infrastructure (11 attacks), hijacking (5 attempts), and assassinations (2 attempts).
Target
Civilians are most often the victims of attacks made by the RKK; however, businesses and the police are also major targets: 29 per cent of the reported attacks targeted civilians, 20 per cent targeted businesses, and 18 per cent targeted the police. The remaining attacks targeted the military (23 attacks), utilities (19 attacks), transportation (9 attacks), educational institutions (8 attacks), and government (7 attacks).
Casualties
Despite the large volume of attacks, the RKK's reported death rate is fairly low. Of the 171 reported incidents, 136 (80 per cent) had zero fatalities. 34 attacks resulted in at least one fatality but none of the attacks resulted in more than five fatalities. Twenty of the attacks resulted in one fatality each, five of the attacks resulted in two fatalities each, four of the attacks resulted in three fatalities each, four of the attacks resulted in four fatalities each, and one attack resulted in five fatalities.
As of 2017, 63 deaths and 403 injuries have been attributed to the RKK.
Incidents
Bombing of police transport
On 25 July 2012 a police transport of the Royal Thai Police travelling through the Raman District (in the Yala Province) exploded from a roadside bomb. This left five officers dead and one wounded. Of the 171 incidents reported from 2008 to 2017, this was the RKK's most deadly incident.
Derailing of train in Narithiwat Province
On 18 November 2012 a train travelling through the City of Reuso (in the Narithiwat Province) derailed as a result of a bomb planted under the track. After the train derailed, a group of assailants began to shoot into the train cars. There were three confirmed deaths and approximately 36 injuries.
Muang Pattani department store explosions
On 9 May 2017 a bomb exploded in a Big-C department store in the City of Muang Pattani. The explosion injured approximately 40 people.