Bomb Attacks and Arson in Southern Thailand Leave 3 Injured
Dozens of coordinated arson attacks were reported in the insurgency-hit southern region of Thailand, leaving three people injured and causing several buildings to burn. The attacks targeted a local government office building, a 7-Eleven convenience store, and a stolen vehicle on Saturday night, according to AFP. A total of 51 attacks occurred overnight, according to the military’s Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) and local media reports.
Firefighters worked to extinguish burning tyres placed in the middle of roads and flames inside a convenience store on Saturday night, while police stopped motorists for security checks. “A number of coordinated incidents aimed at creating unrest occurred at various locations across the southern border provinces from around 8pm until midnight on Saturday,” ISOC said in a statement.
Most of the attacks took place in Narathiwat Province, where at least three civilians were reported injured and a curfew was imposed. Other attacks occurred in the neighbouring provinces of Yala and Pattani. Since 2004, a low-level conflict has continued in Thailand’s southernmost provinces, which are predominantly Muslim, killing more than 7,000 people as insurgents fight for greater autonomy.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. By Sunday morning, there were no reports of further attacks. The three injured individuals included two women, aged 45 and 46, and a 21-year-old man. All three were injured by roadside bomb explosions in Narathiwat, according to a provincial official’s statement. They have been treated at hospital and are in stable condition.
The national railway operator temporarily suspended operations on some routes in Narathiwat after officials found damage to the tracks resulting from “bombing incidents that disrupted security last night”, ISOC said. Narathiwat Governor Boonchuay Homyamyen said authorities were examining the attack sites, including those targeting the local government office as well as telecommunications towers and electricity poles. He said he did not yet have details on the casualties.
The Narathiwat military command had earlier announced a curfew from Saturday night until 6am on Sunday. A vehicle was stolen from a subdistrict administrative organisation office in Narathiwat in one of the attacks, which caused the building to catch fire. The burnt-out pickup truck was later found abandoned on a highway.
Insurgent groups in the restive southern region frequently launch attacks against security forces and government property, including ahead of official visits to the area. Last month, attackers killed five soldiers in a shooting and bombing attack at a checkpoint in Narathiwat. Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his cabinet are scheduled to make a two-day visit to Hat Yai in Songkhla Province next week to discuss investment projects, flood prevention, and security issues, his office said on Saturday.