SUSPECTED insurgents launched a string of almost 20 shooting, bomb and arson attacks in Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla provinces in the deep South on Wednesday night and yesterday, resulting in three deaths, five slight injuries and substantial property damage.
The attacks prompted Fourth Army Region chief Lt-General Piyawat Nakwanich to order a security review while the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) condemned the insurgents for hurting innocent people.
The spree of violence happened only hours after the government’s Front Cabinet Command, led by Deputy Defence Minister Udomdej Sitabutr, visited the predominantly Muslim Southern region on Wednesday.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also the defence minister and Udomdej’s boss, said it could not be concluded that the insurgents were responding to the delegation’s visit. There were six incidents in Songkhla province – three in Thepa and two in Chana districts on Wednesday night, while a bomb detonated without injuries yesterday at 7am at the entrance to an Isuzu service centre in Chana.
In the first incident in Chana, the same service centre’s two security guards – Sanya Samankandee and Dolmalek Leeteh – were shot dead on Wednesday between 9pm and 10pm by suspected insurgents who also set fire to the premises and cars, resulting in property damage.
The second incident was carried out after the double murder when two nearby electric poles on Phetchakasem Highway were blown up, resulting in several more poles falling down and causing a blackout. The authorities believe the attacks were carried out by the same group.
On the same night, suspected insurgents launched three bomb attacks in Thepa district – one bomb hit a Government Savings Bank ATM opposite a PTT gas station in Tambon Thepa, inflicting slight injuries on three civilians, while two explosions at the Ban Tuyong intersection and at the front of the Tambon Pak Bang Admin-istrative Organi-sation caused no injuries.
In the neighbouring Pattani province, there were 12 incidents in the four districts of Muang, Yaring, Sai Buri and Nong Chik. Yaring saw three incidents: assailants opened fire at a ranger base in Tambon Tanyong Dalor, with no injuries reported; a car tyre was burned in Tambon Baloy; and a power pole was blown up in Tambon Tanyong Dalor.

Insurgents ‘retaliating’
In Sai Buri district, there were three incidents: a drive-by shooting at a police booth in Tambon Kalapo, which did not injure anyone; the bombing of four power poles, resulting in a blackout in Tambon Tror Bon; and a car tyre burned on a bridge in Tambon Lahan.
In Muang district, a shooting attack at a military outpost in Tambon Bana killed Private Nopporn Kaewphetch, while two electronic transformers were shot at in Tambon Bana and Tambon Taluboh.
In Nong Chik, a transformer was shot at in Tambon Don Rak, an explosion and fire occurred at a convenience store at a gas station in Tambon Bor Thong, and a bombing hit a gas station in Tambon Bang Khao, resulting in slight injuries to two policemen.
In Narathiwat province, a bomb was set off at a Tambon Kayoh Mati in Bacho district, while a bombing hoax was perpetrated in Tambon Lahan of Yi Ngo district.
Security officers believed the Narathiwat incidents were coordinated with the Pattani and Songkhla attacks as insurgents sought retaliation for security operations that recently killed insurgency leaders, including Mahama Maeroh, who was shot dead in Rusoh district on Sunday.
Insurgents have stepped up orchestrated attacks in the deep South since early 2004, killing more than 6,600 people, while authorities in Bangkok have failed to contain the violence and peace talks have made little progress in recent years.
The secretary-general of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) Supanat Siranthawinete said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had instructed all agencies in the South to coordinate their work effectively to respond to problems quickly.
It was the role of Isoc to handle security in the region while SBPAC would manage compensation for the loss of lives and property, he said.
At Army headquarters in Bangkok, Isoc spokesman Colonel Peerawat Saengthong condemned the attacks as a second blow to members of the public mourning the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Prawit said he had already alerted relevant agencies in the region, notably Isoc and the Fourth Army Region, to be aware of incidents during the mourning period, adding that authorities had discovered serious gaps in the intelligence and security capabilities.