Flags burnt in attacks in Thailand's restive south

PATTANI, Thailand (AP) - Police in Thailand say insurgents have staged a wave of coordinated attacks in the Muslim-dominated south of the country, burning Thai flags and raising Malaysian flags in their place for the first time in years.

Friday's attacks come on the anniversary of the 1989 founding of an umbrella separatist group, as well as the anniversary of neighboring Malaysia's independence from British rule.

Police Colonel Narin Busaman says dozens of small bomb attacks took place in Thailand's four southernmost provinces. At least one person was wounded.

The insurgents are widely believed to be mainly ethnic Malays, but it's not clear why they would raise Malaysian flags. Analysts say the militants want a separate state but have never said they want to be part of Malaysia.