Four people have been gunned down in Thailand’s southernmost provinces in 24-hours of violence that included the murder of a Buddhist rubber tapper, police said Thursday.

Four people have been gunned down in Thailand's southernmost provinces in 24-hours of violence that included the murder of a Buddhist rubber tapper, police said Thursday.

The deaths come during a recent uptick in violence after months of relative calm in a region where more than 6,500 people - the majority civilians - have died since a rebellion against Thai rule re-ignited in 2004.

Rubber tapper Chatchai Saethong, 55, was shot early Thursday in Yaha district of Yala province, one of the three provinces bordering Malaysia hit hardest by the violence.

An hour later, an army ranger was gunned down in a neighboring district, according to a separate police statement.

Two other civilians - including another rubber tapper - were shot dead on Wednesday, the report added, while another army ranger remains in critical condition after being shot as he drove his pick-up truck.

Rebels fighting for greater autonomy often target perceived collaborators with the Thai state, which annexed the culturally distinct region more than 100 years ago.