Five officers injured after bomb attack at outpost in Pattani
Five officers were injured in a Pattani bomb attack after an improvised explosive device detonated outside an outpost in Panare district yesterday, March 17, triggering a fire that damaged a building and several vehicles.
Panare Police Station received a report at 7pm of an explosion at the Thanam strategic outpost in Ban Kha, Thanam subdistrict, Panare district, Pattani province.
Police said five officers’ ears were ringing as a result of the blast, and rescue workers took them to Panare Hospital.
Officers who responded found a fire burning intensely at the outpost, near where officials’ vehicles were parked. Fire engines from the local municipality were called in, and the blaze was brought under control.
The front section of the outpost was damaged, along with several officials’ vehicles parked at the site, according to an initial inspection.
Police said preliminary inquiries indicated that an unknown number of suspects drove a motorcycle with a sidecar carrying an improvised explosive device and left it in front of the outpost.
The suspects then ran to another motorcycle that was waiting and fled before the device was detonated, triggering the explosion and fire.
The area was immediately sealed off to prevent unauthorised access. Explosive ordnance disposal officers and forensic teams are due to conduct a detailed examination today, March 18, police said, citing concerns about the isolated, dark route and the risk of another attack.
Thairath reported that officials have ordered units to maintain heightened security measures, including checkpoints and roadblocks across the area.
They believe the attack was carried out by an insurgent group seeking to retaliate after two clashes in Nong Chik district, Pattani, in which two suspected insurgents were shot dead.
Similarly, back in June last year, the aftermath of the triple bomb explosions at the Pattani Red Cross Fair resulted in injuries to seven people, including vendors and police personnel. The blasts, which occurred at three locations within the fair, also caused significant damage to over 15 stalls.
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