7 rangers injured in Narathiwat monastery bomb blast
In Narathiwat’s Ra-ngae district, seven military rangers sustained injuries following a bomb explosion at a Buddhist monastery pavilion yesterday, January 23. The rangers, from Ranger Company 4511, were patrolling to ensure the safety of local officials attending a subdistrict administrative organisation meeting.
The improvised explosive device was concealed in the pavilion and detonated during the rangers’ rest stop, according to police. This incident occurred at a monastery in Chulabhorn Pattana 5 village, located in Bo Ngo subdistrict. Police suspect southern insurgents were responsible, targeting security forces in the area.
All seven injured rangers were immediately taken to Ra-ngae District Hospital for treatment. The damaged pavilion was secured as bomb disposal and forensic teams began collecting evidence.
In a separate incident in Pattani’s Khok Pho district, Police Sergeant Major Muhamad Muya Heedeen, a crime suppression officer from Khok Pho Police Station, was ambushed on Khok Pho-Pa Bon road on Wednesday night. The officer was returning home on a motorcycle after patrol duty when attackers fired three shots from roadside bushes. Fortunately, he managed to find cover and escaped unharmed. Police have launched an investigation into the ambush, reported Bangkok Post.
In a related story, a bomb explosion occurred in a side alley near TK Park, central Pattani, injuring six volunteer officers. The incident happened at 8am on January 13, just 20 metres from the Mueang Pattani Police Station. The assailants had hidden the explosive device in a vehicle parked in front of a row of shophouses, causing damage to nearby buildings.
Rooted in historical, ethnic, and religious tensions, the insurgency in southern Thailand involves Malay-Muslim separatists seeking greater autonomy or independence from the predominantly Buddhist Thai state. Since its resurgence in 2004, the conflict has resulted in over 7,300 fatalities, according to The Diplomat.
In October last year, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra issued an official apology for the 2004 Tak Bai incident, where 85 Muslim protesters died during a military crackdown. This apology came as the statute of limitations for prosecuting those responsible was about to expire, highlighting ongoing challenges in addressing past injustices.
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