Pattani: Bomb disposal experts and forensic police inspected multiple petrol stations in Thailand's southern border provinces on Monday morning, following coordinated insurgent attacks the previous night that left two people injured. In Pattani province, coordinated bombings targeted two PT petrol stations at around 11:30 pm on Sunday, causing severe fire damage. At the closed Bo Muang branch in Yaring district, at least six armed individuals dressed in black arrived on motorcycles and ordered the sole security guard to leave. The suspects split into two groups to act as lookouts and plant two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along with fuel containers near the dispensers. The devices detonated five minutes apart, destroying the facility. No injuries were reported at this location.
According to Thai News Agency, an identical attack occurred at the Pawa branch in Sai Buri district, where suspects dressed in black used IEDs and fuel to ignite the station. The blasts slightly injured a station employee and a nearby resident, both of whom suffered from chest tightness and ringing ears but are now safe. Forensic teams have cordoned off both sites to gather evidence.
In neighboring Yala province, security forces responded to a petrol station attack on Route 15 in Mueang district. Witnesses reported that six men in black on motorcycles entered the station, fired shots into the air to disperse staff and customers, and detonated explosives that triggered a major fire. Local authorities, led by the provincial governor, coordinated the firefighting response. No casualties were reported from the initial blast.
On Monday morning, Yala provincial explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and forensic teams inspected the site and discovered one unexploded 20-kilogram remote-controlled IED packed into a fire extinguisher. Technicians carefully used signal-jamming equipment to disrupt the device's circuitry and safely defused it.
Authorities attribute the coordinated incidents to active insurgent groups attempting to disrupt public safety and the local economy. Security measures in urban and residential areas have been heightened as investigators review CCTV footage to track down the suspects.