Yala, Thailand – Violence flared anew in Thailand’s restive deep south on Wednesday morning when a roadside bomb ripped through a police vehicle, killing two border patrol officers and wounding another in a brazen daylight attack.

Military officer seriously wounded in Yala ambush

The explosion occurred around 9:30 AM in Than Tho district as the officers were returning from routine medical check-ups. Authorities identified the fallen as Pol Senior Sergeant Major Issares Intarapetch and Pol Sergeant Monpitak Petchnui.

The improvised explosive device (IED), hidden beneath the road surface, detonated with precision as the police truck passed, marking yet another deadly chapter in the region’s decades-long insurgency. The surviving officer was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

The attack follows last week’s temple ambush in Songkhla province, where militants gunned down a 16-year-old Buddhist novice and wounded several others as they prepared for alms collection. These back-to-back incidents underscore the unrelenting cycle of violence plaguing Thailand’s southern border provinces.

While no group has claimed responsibility, the attack bears the hallmarks of ethnic Malay separatists active in the region. Security forces have cordoned off the area, launching sweeping operations to track the perpetrators.

Three injured in Yala bomb attack

Context:

20-year insurgency in Thailand’s deep south (Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat)

– 7,683+ deaths since 2004 resurgence
– 14,415+ injured
– April violence: 12 killed, including civilians and security forces

Sources: Royal Thai Police, Deep South Watch.

-Thailand News (TN)