5 security personnel killed in attack on south Thailand checkpoint
After the attack, the assailants fled with three AK-47 rifles, three bulletproof vests and several mobile phones from the checkpoint.
Five security personnel were killed, and six civilians were injured in an attack in southern Thailand on Wednesday, news agency Reuters reported. Among those wounded were two children
About 10 people, all dressed in black, arrived in a pickup truck and on motorcycles, and struck a checkpoint in Narathiwat province on Wednesday. They used military-grade firearms and pipe bombs in their attack, the military’s Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 said in a statement.
Five paramilitary rangers were killed in the attack while six civilians, including a three-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, were injured
After the attack, the assailants fled with three AK-47 rifles, three bulletproof vests and several mobile phones from the checkpoint.
The security personnel later recovered the pickup truck used in the assault and abandoned thereafter. It was set ablaze about 21 km (13 miles) from the scene.
Like most of the attacks in Thailand’s deep south, no group immediately claimed responsibility.
The government termed the incident an act of terrorism that posed “a serious threat to national security” and undermined ongoing efforts to revive the peace process.
Thailand’s southern border along the frontier with Malaysia has seen decades-long insurgency, with security forces battling groups seeking independence for the provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla. Unlike the rest of Thailand, with a predominantly Buddhist and ethnically Thai population, a vast majority of people living in these provinces are ethnically Malay and practice Islam.
This border region was once part of an independent Malay sultanate of Patani before being annexed by Siam under a 1909 treaty with Britain.
However, more than 7,800 lives have been lost in the latest phase of the conflict, which erupted in 2004, according to conflict monitor Deep South Watch.
Then, Malaysia-brokered peace talks between the Thai government and several insurgent groups began in 2013 but were stalled repeatedly.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed to revive negotiations with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the main insurgent group, after appointing a new chief negotiator in April. However, formal talks are yet to resume.
Earlier this month, BRN said dialogue is the only path to resolve the conflict and appreciated Malaysia’s continued efforts as a facilitator.
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Five security personnel were killed, and six civilians were injured in an attack in southern Thailand on Wednesday, news agency Reuters reported. Among those wounded were two children
About 10 people, all dressed in black, arrived in a pickup truck and on motorcycles, and struck a checkpoint in Narathiwat province on Wednesday. They used military-grade firearms and pipe bombs in their attack, the military’s Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 said in a statement.
Five paramilitary rangers were killed in the attack while six civilians, including a three-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, were injured
After the attack, the assailants fled with three AK-47 rifles, three bulletproof vests and several mobile phones from the checkpoint.
The security personnel later recovered the pickup truck used in the assault and abandoned thereafter. It was set ablaze about 21 km (13 miles) from the scene.
Like most of the attacks in Thailand’s deep south, no group immediately claimed responsibility.
The government termed the incident an act of terrorism that posed “a serious threat to national security” and undermined ongoing efforts to revive the peace process.
Thailand’s southern border along the frontier with Malaysia has seen decades-long insurgency, with security forces battling groups seeking independence for the provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla. Unlike the rest of Thailand, with a predominantly Buddhist and ethnically Thai population, a vast majority of people living in these provinces are ethnically Malay and practice Islam.
This border region was once part of an independent Malay sultanate of Patani before being annexed by Siam under a 1909 treaty with Britain.
However, more than 7,800 lives have been lost in the latest phase of the conflict, which erupted in 2004, according to conflict monitor Deep South Watch.
Then, Malaysia-brokered peace talks between the Thai government and several insurgent groups began in 2013 but were stalled repeatedly.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed to revive negotiations with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the main insurgent group, after appointing a new chief negotiator in April. However, formal talks are yet to resume.
Earlier this month, BRN said dialogue is the only path to resolve the conflict and appreciated Malaysia’s continued efforts as a facilitator.
