Thailand: Six casualties from Pattani bomb August 1

Event

Two village security volunteers were killed and four injured after a pipe bomb exploded around 09:00 (local time) on Tuesday, August 1, in Mai Kaen district, Pattani. The explosion occurred at a shelter where the volunteers were resting. According to police, the bomb weighed at least 10 kg (22 lbs). The identity and motive of the attacker remains under investigation.

Context

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.