Thai PM meets security chiefs after coordinated southern attacks
Thailand's PM held urgent security talks after 51 coordinated attacks in the Muslim-majority south, as the region's long-running insurgency continues.
Bangkok: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul convened an urgent meeting with senior security officials on Sunday, responding to a wave of coordinated violence that struck three southern provinces overnight. The meeting came as the government also grapples with severe flooding in the country's north, which the premier was scheduled to visit later in the day.
The attacks unfolded across Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, with authorities recording 51 separate incidents on Saturday night. The operations were marked by small bombs, arson and property damage rather than direct confrontation. Security forces reported no engagements with the attackers, and only three civilians were wounded, all said to be recovering.
Among the most visible targets was a 7-Eleven store in Pattani, where social media footage appeared to show armed men approaching as customers and staff fled before the building was set ablaze. In Narathiwat, a bomb damaged railway tracks, forcing the suspension of local and long-haul train services with no clear timeline for restoration given the volatile security environment.
No group has claimed responsibility, a common feature of such incidents. However, suspicion typically falls on the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN), the region's main insurgent organisation and the party engaged in intermittent peace talks with Bangkok. The BRN has long sought self-rule for the three southernmost provinces, the only Muslim-majority areas in predominantly Buddhist Thailand.
Residents of the region have historically complained of systemic discrimination, and separatist sentiment has simmered for decades. Violence escalated sharply in 2004, met with heavy-handed state crackdowns that deepened resentment. The Deep South Watch think tank has recorded 7,837 deaths from the conflict over the past 22 years.
The last major flare-up occurred in July, when around ten attackers fired on soldiers at a checkpoint in Narathiwat, killing five paramilitary personnel and wounding six civilians, including a young boy.
Security analyst Don Pathan suggested the latest attacks are a strategic signal rather than an attempt to inflict mass casualties. "BRN combatants are turned off by the boasting of military officials and wanted to use the spike in violence to demonstrate their capabilities," he said. "Many of the targets were civilians, but they were not after body counts. They want to send a stern message to the Thais of what they are capable of doing."