- Five Thai soldiers were killed in a shooting and bomb attack at a checkpoint in the country's insurgency-hit south, the army said, marking one of the deadliest such incidents in years.
- Six civilians were also wounded in the Wednesday evening attack in Narathiwat province, which is affected by a decades-long separatist insurgency.
- The attackers, described as about 10 assailants dressed in black, used gunfire and pipe bombs against members of Task Force Ranger Regiment 45 while they were on duty.
- The pickup truck used in the assault was later found abandoned and set ablaze about 21 km from the scene.
- No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and authorities have not announced any arrests.
- The car bomb explosion outside the former Tanyong police station occurred a day before the checkpoint attack, injuring an officer and damaging the building.
- More than 7,000 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict in Thailand's southernmost provinces since 2004, including civilians, security personnel, and fighters.
- The region has been at the center of an armed separatist conflict since 2004, with rebels battling for greater autonomy.
Five Thai soldiers were killed and six civilians wounded in a coordinated bomb and shooting attack at a checkpoint in Narathiwat province, a region long affected by separatist violence. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening at the Bukeh Sami checkpoint, marking one of the deadliest assaults in recent years.12
According to the army, members of Task Force Ranger Regiment 45 were on duty when assailants, described as about 10 individuals dressed in black, opened fire and threw pipe bombs. The attackers seized three AK-47 rifles and other equipment before fleeing the scene.
Local officials reported that six civilians, including a 10-year-old boy, were injured during the attack. Narathiwat Governor Boonchuay Homyamyen visited the injured at a hospital, highlighting the incident's impact on local residents.
The government condemned the attack as an act of “terrorism” that threatens national security and undermines peace efforts. No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not made any arrests. The army paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, stating their “service and sacrifice will be remembered and honoured with the highest respect.”5
This attack follows a recent car bombing in the same province, raising concerns over escalating violence in Thailand's southern border regions, where over 7,000 people have died since 2004 due to the ongoing conflict.6
“Six civilians, including a 10-year-old boy, were wounded in the attack; a car bomb—the first in the region this year—had damaged a police station the day before, wounding an officer. The assailants, about 10 men in black, fled with three AK-47 rifles and bulletproof vests, and no group has claimed responsibility.”
