In Thailand’s southern provinces of Narathiwat and Pattani, consecutive armed and bomb attacks took place yesterday. The attacks resulted in 5 fatalities and 13 injuries.

Terrifying moments were experienced last night in Thailand. In Sungai Kolok district located in the Narathiwat province in the south, masked and armed individuals arrived at the district office with two vehicles at 19:00 local time and opened fire on the building and people around.

One security guard at the building lost their life at the scene, while another security guard passed away at the hospital where they were taken. 10 injured individuals, including 3 civilians, were transferred to surrounding hospitals for treatment.

Initial investigations after the incident revealed that the attackers had planted a vehicle with 100 kilograms of explosives inside the district office before the attack, and detonated the vehicle during the assault.

In Pattani, a roadside bomb device was detonated. In another attack carried out in the Pattani province at the same time as the Narathiwat attack, 3 security guards lost their lives and 1 person was injured as a result of a roadside bomb device explosion.

CONDEMNATION MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in a statement regarding the attacks, offered condolences to the families of the deceased and emphasized the need for not only military security but also psychological security for the people in the region to improve. Shinawatra condemned the groups responsible for the attack.

MALAYSIA INCREASES BORDER SECURITY

Following the increased terrorist attacks in southern Thailand, neighboring country Malaysia tightened border security. Malaysian Police Chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat stated that border security controls would be intensified after the attacks that occurred yesterday.