BANGKOK, Aug 24: Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul held an urgent meeting with senior security officials following a coordinated wave of attacks across three southern provinces, where a long-running Muslim separatist insurgency remains active.
The meeting took place on Sunday before Anutin travelled north to assess severe flooding in Nan province. Authorities reported 51 incidents overnight in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.
The attacks mainly involved small explosions, arson and damage to property. Officials said the assailants did not directly confront security personnel. Three civilians were reported injured and were recovering.
A 7-Eleven convenience store in Pattani was among the most prominent targets. Video circulating online appeared to show armed men outside the premises before the building was set ablaze as customers and employees escaped.
Rail services disrupted after bombing
In Narathiwat, an explosion damaged railway tracks, forcing authorities to suspend both local and long-distance train services.
Officials had not announced when services would resume, citing continuing security concerns in the affected area.
No organisation had publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks, and authorities had not immediately identified those behind the violence.
However, the incidents are widely suspected to have been linked to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani, commonly known as BRN, the principal insurgent organisation operating in Thailand’s far south.
The group has been involved in intermittent peace negotiations with the Thai government and has advocated greater self-rule for the region.
Long-running separatist conflict
Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala are Thailand’s only provinces with Muslim majorities in a country where most of the population is Buddhist.
Muslim communities in the region have for decades raised concerns about discrimination and unequal treatment, while separatist movements have periodically challenged government authority.
The current phase of insurgent violence intensified in 2004, followed by extensive security operations that critics say further deepened local grievances.
According to Deep South Watch, a research organisation based at Prince of Songkla University’s Pattani campus, the conflict has claimed 7,837 lives over the past 22 years.
July violence raised security concerns
The latest incidents follow a major escalation in July, when around 10 attackers reportedly opened fire and threw pipe bombs at soldiers at a security checkpoint in Narathiwat.
Five paramilitary personnel were killed and six civilians were wounded, including a 10-year-old boy.
Security analyst Don Pathan said the latest attacks could be intended to strengthen the insurgents’ position during negotiations with the government.
He said the pattern of attacks suggested the perpetrators were seeking to demonstrate their operational capabilities and send a warning rather than cause large-scale casualties.
The government is expected to maintain heightened security across the three provinces while authorities investigate the coordinated incidents and assess their implications for ongoing peace efforts.
