A night of terror in Thailand: dozens of explosions and arsons in the south
Less than a month after an attack that claimed the lives of five soldiers, over fifty explosions and arson incidents occurred in Thailand's Narathiwat province. Two women were injured, one seriously. A night curfew has been imposed as the government continues to pursue peace talks.
Thai police are investigating dozens of arson and explosion incidents that occurred on Sunday across the country. Throughout the night, reports were received of at least 50 incidents, most of which took place in the southern Narathiwat province.
At least two women were injured in the fires. One of the victims sustained severe injuries to her chest and arm, according to local media reports. It was further reported that in addition to the arsons, explosive devices were planted and detonated at several of the fire sites.
The events occurred between 8:00 PM and midnight local time. Thai police stated that the attacks were intended to sow fear in the country. Following the events, it was decided to impose a night curfew in Narathiwat.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
This series of incidents comes less than a month after a deadly attack in Narathiwat province, in which militants fired at a security checkpoint and killed five Thai soldiers. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced after that attack that the government intends to continue efforts to promote peace talks in the region.
In the provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani in southern Thailand, a continuous conflict has been taking place since 2004 between Muslim insurgents and the Buddhist majority. To date, at least 7,000 people have lost their lives in acts of violence related to this tension.
Next week, the Thai Prime Minister is expected to visit Songkhla province, located near the area where the violence occurred, to discuss the security situation.
