BANGKOK – Two violent attacks in Thailand’s restive southern provinces have left five people dead and more than a dozen injured, police reported on Sunday. The region, plagued by a long-running insurgency since 2004, has seen over 7,000 casualties as Muslim-majority separatist groups continue their struggle for greater autonomy from the central government.
The first attack occurred on Saturday evening in Sungai Kolok, a town near the Malaysia-Thailand border, where more than 10 gunmen opened fire outside the district office. The assailants also detonated explosives, killing two defense volunteers guarding the facility and wounding 12 others, including four civilians, according to Narathiwat provincial police.
Hours later, in Pattani province’s Saiburi district, a roadside bomb exploded around 11:00 pm, killing three people—two village assistants and a ranger—who were on security duty. One additional person sustained injuries in the blast.
The deep south of Thailand, historically and culturally distinct from the Buddhist-majority nation, has remained heavily policed since Thailand asserted control over the area more than a century ago. Following the attacks, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced that security measures would be reinforced, stating that the number of personnel working night shifts in the region “would definitely need to increase.”