Southern Thailand shaken by 3 bombings

A series of bombings have occurred in the southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala in Thailand, where the majority of the population is Muslim.

On July 21, a group of six Thai soldiers were patrolling on three motorbikes in Narathiwat province when they were ambushed by a bomb squad, injuring two soldiers. Preliminary investigations revealed that the 5kg bomb was buried under a milestone on the side of the road. Thai authorities have cordoned off the scene and increased their forces to search for the perpetrators.

Scene of a bombing in the southernmost part of Thailand (Photo: KT)

On the evening of July 20, in Narathiwat, a bomb attack on a patrol vehicle injured seven soldiers. Three consecutive bombings in Narathiwat show that the rebel forces here have carefully prepared for these bombings.

Earlier that morning, a bomb exploded at a five-story building in Narathiwat province. A bomb weighing about 50kg was planted in a car and exploded near a densely populated area. Thai security forces had cut off all telecommunications signals in Sungai Kolok district, where the explosion occurred, to avoid a double remote-controlled bombing. However, this time, the rebels organized bombings at different locations in Narathiwat province.

On July 21, Thai security officials said they had just recovered image data from security cameras related to the high-rise bombing to serve the investigation. Thai security also determined that the car used to carry the bomb was the one that had been stolen last year and the bombers had modified the car to be able to carry the bomb in the trunk. Thai security forces were put on a high state of readiness, many checkpoints were set up on important routes in this area.

The three southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala are predominantly Muslim. Since 2004, separatist and anti-government forces have carried out hundreds of bombings and attacks on civilians and government officials, killing more than 5,000 people and injuring tens of thousands./.

According to VOV.vn - DT