Dozens of coordinated arson and incendiary attacks across Thailand's insurgency-hit south late Saturday left at least three people wounded and government property burned, the military said. The 51 attacks targeted multiple local government offices and vehicles, according to an AFP journalist and the military's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC).
Firefighters worked to extinguish burning tyres left in the middle of a road and flames inside a 7-Eleven convenience store Saturday night, while police officers stopped motorists for security checks, footage from local broadcaster Thai PBS showed. "Multiple coordinated incidents aimed at creating unrest occurred in various locations across the southern border provinces" from around 8:00 pm (1300 GMT) to midnight on Saturday, ISOC said in a statement.
Most of the attacks occurred in Narathiwat province, where three civilians were wounded and an overnight curfew was imposed, while other attacks occurred in neighbouring Yala and Pattani provinces, authorities said. The attacks resulted in damage to local government offices, telecommunications towers, and electrical poles.
Since 2004, a low-level conflict has simmered in the southernmost provinces of Buddhist-majority Thailand, killing more than 7,000 people, as rebels in the Muslim-majority region battle for greater autonomy. No group has claimed responsibility for Saturday's attacks.
Two women, aged 45 and 46, and a 21-year-old man were hurt in a roadside bombing in Narathiwat, provincial officials said in a statement. All three were hospitalised and in stable condition. The national railway operator temporarily suspended part of a route in Narathiwat after officials found damage on the tracks "caused by a disruptive bombing incident last night", ISOC said.
Narathiwat Governor Boonchuay Homyamyen told local media that authorities were investigating sites of the attacks on Sunday, including a local government office and telecommunications towers and electrical poles. The Narathiwat military command earlier announced a curfew from Saturday night until 6:00 am on Sunday.
Insurgents in the deep south regularly carry out attacks on security officials and government property, including ahead of visits by officials to the region. Last month, assailants killed five soldiers in a shooting and bomb attack at a checkpoint in Narathiwat.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and members of his cabinet are scheduled to make a two-day visit to the city of Hat Yai in southern Songkhla province next week to discuss investment projects, flooding prevention and security issues, his office said on Saturday. The ongoing unrest in Thailand's southern provinces highlights the challenges faced by the government in maintaining stability and security in the region, which is of particular interest to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh due to shared security concerns and the potential for spillover effects.
