PATTANI/NARATHIWAT — Insurgents launched coordinated attacks in Thailand’s restive southern provinces late Friday and early Saturday, detonating an explosive device at a police kiosk in Pattani and setting fire to a wood processing plant in Narathiwat.

Bomb and Gunfire Attack Injure Four Rangers in Narathiwat

In Sai Buri district, Pattani, a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) concealed in a 15kg gas tank was planted next to a highway police kiosk by two men on a motorcycle. The blast destroyed two police vehicles and severely damaged the concrete structure and a protective bunker. Four officers inside the kiosk escaped unharmed. Authorities suspect the attack was carried out by separatist militants active in the region.

Hours later, in Rue So district, Narathiwat, arsonists targeted a wood processing plant, burning five vehicles before firefighters extinguished the blaze. No casualties were reported, but the incident caused significant economic damage.

Two Insurgents Killed in Songkhla Clashes Amid Southern Violence

The attacks underscore persistent volatility in Thailand’s Deep South, where a decades-long insurgency has claimed thousands of lives. Security forces have heightened patrols and checkpoints, while investigations into both incidents are ongoing. The dual assaults reflect insurgents’ continued strategy of targeting both state security infrastructure and local economic hubs to destabilize the region.

-Thailand News (TN)