At least five people were killed and more than a dozen wounded in two separate attacks in Thailand’s restive southern region on Saturday night, officials said.
The incidents occurred in the provinces of Narathiwat and Pattani, where a long-running insurgency has claimed over 7,000 lives since 2004.
A group of more than 10 armed attackers launched an assault outside the district office in Sungai Kolok, a town on the Malaysia-Thailand border, at around 7 pm local time (1200 GMT).
According to the news agency AFP, the assailants fired indiscriminately, threw explosives, and detonated bombs in a coordinated attack that killed two defence volunteers and injured 12 others, including four civilians.
Sungai Golok deputy police chief Lt. Col. Nitti Suksang, quoted by The Star, confirmed that “a group of armed men in two four-wheel-drive vehicles attacked the Sungai Golok District Office, opening fire and throwing grenades at the defence volunteers who were on duty.”
He further said that “two members of the defence volunteers died on the spot, while three others were seriously injured and five suffered light injuries.”
The wounded are currently receiving treatment at Sungai Golok Hospital, and police have launched an investigation to identify the suspects and their motives.
Later that night, at around 11 pm (1600 GMT), a separate attack in Saiburi district, Pattani province, killed three people, including two local village assistants and a ranger guarding the area. A roadside bomb detonated while they were on patrol, leaving one other person wounded, local police reported.
Following the attacks, Thai Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra said that security forces in the region would have to enhance night patrols to prevent further violence. “The number of security forces working night shifts would definitely need to increase,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Thailand’s deep south, which was historically an independent sultanate before being annexed over a century ago, remains a conflict zone where Muslim separatists have been fighting for greater autonomy from the Buddhist-majority country.
The region remains heavily policed by Thai security forces, but sporadic attacks continue despite peace talks.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether the two attacks were linked, but investigations are underway in both provinces.