Violence continues in the ‘Deep South’ (Southern Thailand region encompassing Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani, and four districts in Songkhla) with the latest incident occurring last night (12 August 2024), when two men disregarded the presence of civilians and threw a homemade bomb at a checkpoint near a night market.

The incident in the Bachok District of Narathiwat, followed by gunfire, resulted in four injuries, including two children.

The attack on the security checkpoint was reported to have taken place around 8:35 PM last night in the Belukar Samok Sub-district, Bachok.

The two injured children were identified as Siti Anisa, 5 years old, and Muhammad Zubez, 10 years old. Siti Robiha, 24, and an unidentified member of the Thai Marine Corps were also injured.

The incident is said to have occurred when two men riding a motorcycle threw a homemade bomb toward the security checkpoint at Kampung Batu, Belukar Samok, followed by gunfire.

The two men were reportedly seen parking their motorcycle elsewhere before walking along with the crowd at the night market, which was organized by the municipal council from 9 August until last night.

They then threw the homemade bomb toward the checkpoint before fleeing.

However, gunfire was then heard, causing people to flee in panic.

Earlier that morning, police in Thung Yang Daeng District, Pattani, detained two suspicious young men who were digging a hole by the roadside, believed to be intended for planting a bomb.

It is understood that the incident occurred around 10:20 AM in Kampung Buerang, Nam Dam Sub-district.

Villagers reported to the police about the two young men who were digging a hole by the roadside using an excavator.

The police then detained the two, aged 18 and 21, for further investigation. However, both claimed they were hired to do the digging work.

Authorities suspect that an armed group was involved in the incident by hiring the young men to dig holes in the area before planting bombs to target security forces conducting patrols.