Authorities have tightened security in Songkhla’s Hat Yai and Sadao districts following a series of bomb and shooting attacks along rail routes in the three southernmost provinces.
The attacks took place almost simultaneously at six locations on Friday night, during the final week of the holy month of Ramadan, about 8pm in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. No casualties were reported.
A bomb exploded on a bridge over a railway track in tambon Sateng Nok in Yala’s Muang district, while a shooting occurred at an outpost of a special operations unit in the Rueso district of Narathiwat, with the latter prompting an exchange of fire between forces and the gunmen.
Also, two men on motorcycles opened fire on a special operations unit’s outpost at Wat Chang railway station in tambon Thung Phla of Khok Pho district of Pattani, while assailants opened fire on police at Khok Pho railway station in the province’s Khok Pho.
In Yala province’s Raman district, a pipe bomb was thrown into a paramilitary ranger outpost.
In Narathiwat’s tambon Chuap in the Cho Airong, a shooting took place, resulting in an exchange of fire with a special police operations unit based at Cho Airong railway station.
Concerned that the unrest may affect tourist areas in Songkhla, security agencies in the province have intensified protocols to ensure safety in several areas, particularly economic and tourist zones in Sadao and Hat Yai districts, a source said yesterday.
Meanwhile, Col Thanitpon Hongvilai, commander of the 5th infantry regiment and its special task force Thep Satri, inspected the border near Malaysia, while operation teams of soldiers, police and administrative officials set up checkpoints on Kanchanavanich Road, which connects Sadao and Hat Yai districts.
Army and border police forces responsible for the Thai-Malaysia border area were also deployed to suppress any illegal entry via natural channels.
Police and officials will also patrol along rail routes from Hat Yai to Padang Besar, a border town in the Sadao district of Songkhla province, to ensure safety before resuming train operations, said a source. It is unclear how many assailants were involved in launching the near-simultaneous attacks.