Explosions and fires have ripped through at least 17 locations in southern Thailand, authorities said, in what appeared to be multiple coordinated attacks that injured several people.
The bombings and arson attacks occurred late on Tuesday and in the early hours of Wednesday morning, military and police officials said.
At least 17 attacks occurred in the southern provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala, mostly at small shops and gas stations, military spokesperson Pramote Promin said. At least three civilians were reported injured.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far.
Police Captain Sarayuth Kotchawong said he received a report shortly before midnight that a suspect had entered a shop at a gas station in Yala’s Yaha district, placed a black bag inside and warned employees to leave if they “do not want to die”.
The workers left before the bag exploded 10 minutes later.Provinces in southern Thailand along the border with Malaysia have seen a decades-long, low-level rebellion, in which the Thai government has battled groups seeking independence for the predominantly Muslim provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and parts of Songkhla.
More than 7,300 people have been killed in the conflict since 2004, according to the Deep South Watch group, which monitors the violence.
Muslim Thai people in the south have long charged they are treated like second-class citizens in the Buddhist-dominated country. Heavy-handed crackdowns by the Thai government have also fuelled discontent in southern provinces.
Military spokesman Pramote said the attackers were on motorcycles and in many cases threw petrol bombs at their targets.“It is clear that the insurgents remain committed to using violence on people, damaging confidence in the economy, creating uncertainty and undermining the government system,” he said.
The wave of attacks follow after the Thai government earlier this year restarted discussions with the main rebel group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
