UPDATE: BRN insurgents admits to Deep South bombings
UPDATE
The insurgent group Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN) announced on its Facebook page that they were behind this week’s bomb explosions in the Deep South provinces. The BRN group said it was an act against capitalism that affected local businesses.
Yesterday, the official Facebook page of the group expressed condolences for the death and loss. They said group members invited all innocent staff and customers to leave the convenience stores before they bombed them and that any death was considered an accident but they accepted full responsibility for any deaths.
BRN revealed they targeted 7-Eleven convenience stores and Big C supermarkets because these shops were representative of capitalism, which destroyed local businesses and forced many local shops to shut down.
The group added that the two brands deluded customers by increasing more and more branches which forced local shops out of business, flooded the market with counterfeit products, and blocked opportunities for other people while selling products at a high price.
The group added that the Thai government supported capitalism’s ability to grow.
According to the media, the group changed their way of responding to the government openly via social media, as they used to take action in secret.
UPDATE: 21 year old man found dead after Deep South bombing
Following the bomb explosions in three Deep South provinces on August 16, officers found one man dead inside a 7-Eleven shop in the Su-ngai Golok district of Narathiwas province.
Yesterday, officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal investigated a 7-Eleven store inside a petrol station that was bombed as part of the attack and found the charred body of a 21 year old, Masarit Mama, under a product shelf.
He was a customer in the store when the insurgents arrived. According to the report, the insurgents asked all 7-Eleven staff and customers to leave the store before setting off the bomb. It is believed Masarit ignored the order by the insurgents and tried to hide inside the store.
Meanwhile, staff from a petrol station at the La Nga sub-district, in the Mayo district of Pattani province, handed over a suspicious bag to police yesterday. The staff was right to do so as police discovered the bag hid an improvised explosive device. The bomb was set to start working at the same time as the others, but it had malfunctioned and not detonated.
Masarit is the first and only death reported from the bomb explosion that night. Officers are still investigating each scene to gather evidence hoping it will lead to the insurgent group.
SOURCE: Thairath
ORIGINAL STORY: Insurgents bomb petrol stations & shops in Deep South
Bomb explosions were reported last night at a number of petrol stations and convenience stores in three Deep South provinces including Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani.
The media reported the bomb explosions went off between 12.20am to 12.40am in six districts of Narathiwas provinces. Six branches of 7-Eleven stores, a Mini Big C in Bacho, Si Sakhon, Su-ngai Golok, Rueso, and Chanae were destroyed. There is no confirmation about the loss of life and injuries from the incidents.
Two more bombs were reported in Pattani. The first one went off in Bang Chak Petrol Station in Bor Thong sub-district, Nong Chik district. The second bomb in Pattani happened at a Mini Big C in Nam Dam sub-district, Tung Yang Daeng district. No deaths or injuries were reported from the incidents.
Another four bombs hit convenience stores in four districts of Yala province including three branches of 7-Eleven stores in Yaha, Bannang Star, and Mueng districts, and Mini Big C in Raman district.
In Yala, one witness informed the police of seeing four suspects riding motorbikes and throwing bombs into the convenience stores. Every convenience store in Yala is now temporarily closed for the safety of staff and residents.
Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Forensic Science Office reported they would be investigating the scenes to gather more evidence to find the insurgents today.
SOURCE: PPTV HD | Thairath | Thansettakij
