Coordinated arson attacks hit southern Thailand

Dozens of coordinated arson and incendiary attacks struck Thailand’s insurgency-hit south late Saturday, burning government property, vehicles and infrastructure in violence the military said was “aimed at creating unrest.”

Thailand’s Internal Security Operations Command said 51 attacks took place across the southern border provinces from about 8 p.m. to midnight local time. Most were reported in Narathiwat province, with others in neighboring Yala and Pattani.

Authorities reported injuries from a bombing in Narathiwat. Al Jazeera, citing provincial officials, reported that three civilians — two women aged 45 and 46 and a 21-year-old man — were hurt in a roadside bombing and admitted to hospital in stable condition. The BBC, citing the Bangkok Post, reported that two women were injured when a bomb exploded in Muang district in Narathiwat.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The targets included multiple local government offices, a convenience store, telecommunications towers, electrical poles and vehicles. Footage from local broadcaster Thai PBS showed firefighters putting out burning tyres left in the middle of a road and flames inside a 7-Eleven convenience store, while police stopped motorists for security checks.

In Narathiwat, authorities imposed an overnight curfew that lasted until 6 a.m. Sunday. The BBC reported that the curfew was lifted Sunday morning and that no further attacks had been reported that day. Security officials also warned residents not to touch suspicious objects.

The military said a vehicle was stolen from the office of a subdistrict administrative organization in Narathiwat during one attack that left the building in flames. The burned-out pickup truck was later found abandoned on a road. The national railway operator also temporarily suspended part of a route in Narathiwat after officials found track damage “caused by a disruptive bombing incident last night,” ISOC said, according to Al Jazeera.

Narathiwat Governor Boonchuay Homyamyen told local media that agencies were inspecting attack sites Sunday, including a local government office, telecommunications towers and electrical poles.

At a municipal office in Pattani damaged in another attack, southern army commander Norathip Poinok said the attackers sought to destroy the building and weaken confidence in the state. “We had intelligence reports for about two months that there would be attacks on local offices,” he told reporters, adding that the military had warned security agencies but did not know when or where the attacks would happen.

Thailand’s southernmost provinces have seen a low-level conflict since 2004, with rebels in the Muslim-majority region fighting for greater autonomy in Buddhist-majority Thailand. More than 7,000 people have been killed. The insurgency is mainly led by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or BRN.

Peace talks facilitated by Malaysia began in 2013 but have repeatedly stalled amid changes in government in Bangkok and divisions on both sides. Formal talks between the Thai government and the BRN were expected to resume in June after an increase in violence, but negotiations have struggled over issues including self-government, security measures and political representation.

In July, five soldiers were killed in a gun and bomb attack at a checkpoint in Narathiwat, prompting authorities to postpone a planned dialogue process, according to the BBC. Al Jazeera reported that the attack took place last month.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and cabinet members are scheduled to make a two-day visit next week to Hat Yai in southern Songkhla province to discuss investment projects, flood prevention and security issues.