BANGKOK, Thailand: Five Thai security officers were killed, and six civilians, including two young children, were injured in an attack in Thailand's troubled deep south, the military said on July 23.

Around 10 attackers dressed in black and wearing black hats arrived in a pickup truck and on motorcycles. They attacked a roadside checkpoint in Narathiwat province late on July 22. They used military-grade weapons and pipe bombs, according to a statement from the military's Internal Security Operations Command Region 4.

Five paramilitary rangers died in the attack. Six civilians were hurt, including a three-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy.

Officials said the attackers took three AK-47 rifles, three bulletproof vests, and several mobile phones from the checkpoint before escaping. Security forces later found the pickup truck used in the attack abandoned and burned about 21 kilometers (13 miles) away from the scene.

As in many past attacks in Thailand's deep south, no group immediately said it was responsible.

The government described the attack as terrorism and said it created a serious threat to national security. A government spokeswoman explained that the attack also weakened ongoing efforts to restart peace talks.

Thailand's southern border area near Malaysia has faced a long-running conflict. Security forces have been fighting groups that want independence for mainly Muslim, ethnically Malay provinces such as Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and parts of Songkhla.

This region was once part of the independent Malay sultanate of Patani before Siam took it over under a treaty with Britain in 1909.

The current phase of the conflict began in 2004 and has caused more than 7,800 deaths, according to the group Deep South Watch.

Peace talks between the Thai government and several rebel groups started in 2013 with help from Malaysia, but they have often stopped and made little real progress.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has promised to restart talks with the main rebel group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, after appointing a new chief negotiator in April. However, formal negotiations have not yet started again.

In a rare public statement earlier this month, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional said that dialogue was still the only workable way to solve the conflict and showed appreciation for Malaysia's continued role as a mediator.