Thailand: Three killed in separate attacks in Pattani July 6

Event

Local media sources have reported that two villagers and one member of a volunteer security force were killed in separate shootings in Pattani’s Mayo district during the evening of Thursday, July 6. The first incident occurred at around 18:35 (local time) at a market in La Nga sub-district. The second and third attacks occurred just 15 minutes later in Sakam sub-district. An investigation into the incidents is underway and the nature of the attacks - whether due to personal conflicts or separatist insurgents - remains unknown.

Context

Six Thai soldiers were killed and four others injured on Monday, June 19, by a roadside bomb planted by suspected Muslim insurgents in Pattani.

A separatist insurgency in Thailand's three Muslim-majority southern provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat has claimed more than 6800 lives since it erupted 13 years ago, with both militants and Thailand's military accused of human rights abuses. Low-intensity bombings and assassinations often occur in the area, which is heavily patrolled by soldiers and police.

Advice

Individuals in the area are advised to monitor the situation and remain vigilant. As a reminder, most Western governments advise against nonessential travel to Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, as well as the province of Songkhla and areas along the Cambodian and Burmese borders due to the presence of armed militias.