No New Year’s Eve cheer from Deep South insurgents

New Year’s Eve sparked may have sparked hundreds of thousands of celebrations throughout the kingdom last night but festive cheer was in short supply as insurgency continued its reign of terror in the Deep South.

Police reported several incidents last night intended to create a disturbance in four districts of the southern border province of Pattani last night.

The incidents, all road-related, occurred at about 11.30pm, reported Bangkok Post.

• A fire broke out at an army operations base at Po Phumae, the Moo 2 village in tambon Talo, Yaring district. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

• Car tyres were set on fire on Highway 418 at Ban Thung Pho, the Moo 5 village in tambon Lipa Sango, Nong Chik district. The words “Patani Merdeka” were spray painted on the nearby highway.

• Car tyres were set on fire on Highway 4061 at Ban Thakham, the Moo 1 village in tambon Thakham, Panare district.

• A police checkpoint was set on fire at Ban La-nga, the Moo 2 village in tambon La-nga, Mayo district.

• Car tyres were set burned on Highway 42 (Narathiwat-Pattani) at Ban Palat, the Moo 5 village in tambon La-nga, Mayo district.

Police reported the incidents were the work of southern insurgents to create a disturbance and spoil the festive celebrations.

Only last week a petrol pump was blown up by suspected insurgents at a PTT petrol station in the southern province of Yala. There were no casualties.

Shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve, an explosion was heard at the PTT petrol station by Highway 410 in tambon Thanto. One of the pumps caught fire, but nobody was hurt.

Lt Gen Santi Sakuntanak, 4th Army commander, condemned the Yala terrorist attack, saying it was intended to undermine efforts to restore the economy and tourism in the Deep South.