Thailand: Two insurgents killed in Pattani (south) Nov. 8

Event

Two insurgents were killed and one other arrested by security forces on Wednesday, November 8, during a military raid in Pattani province, a Malay Muslim-majority region in Thailand’s insurgency-plagued south. The house targeted in the raid had been identified as a militant hideout, and the person arrested was reportedly an insurgent operative wanted by the authorities.

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 13 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 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 Cambodia and Myanmar borders due to the presence of armed militias.