Thailand: Bomb attack in Yala province July 5

Event

An explosive device detonated at a rubber plantation in Muang district (Yala province) during the early morning (local time) of Thursday, July 5. According to local sources, a worker was seriously wounded while digging up the device after having found it found buried by a tree. Authorities are investigating the incident and have urged residents to warn the police if they see anything suspicious at their plantations. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of July 5.

Context

According to local reports, the victim is the fifth person to be wounded by an improvised explosive device at a rubber plantation in Yala province since June 28.

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.

Advice

Individuals in southern regions of Thailand 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.