PATTANI, Thailand – Security forces cordoned off a major builder supply store in Pattani’s Muang district on Saturday evening following a coordinated attack by heavily armed insurgents that led to three explosions inside the complex, with no casualties reported. The incident occurred around 6:40 p.m. when Pattani police and security personnel were alerted to the intrusion at the Bana intersection in Bana sub-district.

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According to initial investigations, a group of three or four insurgents armed with automatic assault rifles arrived at the store’s warehouse with a heavily laden sidecar motorcycle, and eyewitnesses stated that the armed men aggressively confronted store employees and customers, brandishing their weapons and shouting orders for everyone to evacuate immediately. Panicked workers and shoppers scrambled to flee the building, and shortly after the site was completely evacuated, three powerful explosions occurred inside the complex, causing damage to the surrounding warehouse area.

Security officials confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were sustained, and joint security forces immediately established a strict perimeter around the site to prevent further danger to the public. Explosive Ordnance Disposal units were deployed to conduct a meticulous search, particularly focusing on the suspect motorcycle and sidecar abandoned by the perpetrators, which appeared to contain additional improvised explosive components.

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Authorities suspect the brazen operation was aimed at stirring unrest across the southern border provinces, and police have issued a public warning asking residents to avoid the Bana intersection and surrounding areas while safety checks and evidence gathering are ongoing. The attack is the latest in a series of coordinated incidents targeting commercial and government infrastructure in Thailand’s southern border region, where insurgent groups have been active for decades in their campaign for an independent Patani state. Security forces remain on high alert as they continue to investigate the incident and search for those responsible.

-Thailand News (TN)