Thailand: Roadside bomb leaves two wounded in Yala province Feb. 15

Event

Suspected separatist insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mueang Yala district (Yala province) on the morning of Thursday, February 15 (local time), leaving two defense volunteers wounded. The bomb reportedly exploded around 07:30 on Thursday as a group of defense volunteers passed on patrol in the Tambon Bannang Sareng area. Additional attacks are possible in Yala province and elsewhere in southern Thailand (including in Pattani and Narathiwat provinces) in the coming weeks.

Context

A separatist insurgency in Thailand's three Muslim-majority southern provinces - Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat - has claimed more than 6800 lives since it first began 14 years ago, with both militants and Thailand's military accused of human rights abuses. Low-intensity bombings and assassinations often occur in the region, which is heavily patrolled by soldiers and police.

Most recently, five suspected insurgents launched an attack on a defense volunteers' base in Yi-ngo district (Narathiwat province) on February 14; no casualties were immediately reported.

Advice

Individuals in the affected area are advised to monitor developments to the situation, remain vigilant for potential militant activity, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities. 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 Cambodia and Myanmar borders due to the presence of armed militias.