Soldiers injured in Narathiwat bomb attack

A bomb attack in the southern province of Narathiwat has injured two army rangers. Narathiwat along with neighbouring provinces Pattani and Yala, and also known as the three Southern Border Provinces, are home to Thailand’s Southern Insurgency. The attack occured on Friday night.

Eight rangers were returning to their base when the roadside bomb went off. They had been helping with a cleaning activity at local mosque to stem the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. The homemade bomb was planted near a roadside power pole and detonated when their pickup truck passed by. The blast wounded two soldiers who were travelling in the back of the pickup truck. They were rushed to hospital.

Police, soldiers and a bomb squad who went to the scene found a heavily damaged power pole and shrapnel scattered around the area. The pickup was partly damaged, according to the Bangkok Post.
Authorities believed the bomb contained about 25 kilograms of explosive and was the work of Muslim insurgents targeting security forces.

Last week, 25 people were injured when two bombs were set off outside a Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre in Yala. Authorities there were meeting on Covid-19 prevention at the time of the explosion.

A Facebook page linked to supporters of the BRN (Barisan Revolusi Nasional), the largest insurgent group in the region, appeared to warn of an imminent attacks, and photos of the attack scene were later posted with the words “as promised.”

Police say attackers drew people to the spot by tossing a handheld explosive into the yard of the building, then remotely detonated a car bomb in front of the compound.

“While officials were meeting on Covid-19, two men on a motorcycle tossed a bomb over the fence. Later the car bomb was set off. At least 25 were injured, including the deputy director of the SBPAC. On a surveillance camera, we found a pickup truck carrying wood was parked at the site before the explosion.”

The driver left the scene with a man on a motorcycle, according to officials.

SOURCES: Chiang Rai Times | Bangkok Post