BANGKOK, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) has braced for stepped-up operations in the country's southernmost provinces as well as concerted missions to maintain law and order in the capital of Bangkok, an ISOC spokesman said Thursday.

    Thanathip Sawangsaeng, the spokesman of ISOC, was quoted by the stater-un Thai News Agency as saying that during a high-level ISOC meeting which was chaired by Council for National Security (CNS) chairman Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, officials discussed the security missions in the southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.

    Thanathip ensured that the authorities will continue to combat southern insurgents who had caused unrest throughout the region. He said more security missions will be launched there.

    Meanwhile, the First Army Region surrounding the capital has been prepared to join the police in maintaining law and order in Bangkok in the wake of a prolonged anti-coup rally at Sanam Luang Square. Elite army troops may be deployed in addition to police, especially at police checkpoints along roads leading to Sanam Luang, to help maintain law and order, Thanathip said.

    There have been no reports of people from the provinces being mobilized and transported to the capital to join the anti-coup gatherings so far. Neither had any ex-Thai Rak Thai Party's Parliament Members been found recruiting constituents for the anti-government political rally, the colonel said.

    The ISOC meeting participants also discussed the timing of the upcoming general election, which it was felt should be scheduled as soon as possible and held in fair and clean fashion after the rewritten Constitution has passed a public referendum later this year, he said.