Pattani: Unexpected individuals set fire to tires in two locations, disrupting Pattani province, and also set fire to the Sa Kho Bon Subdistrict Administrative Organization office, causing damage. The Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command warned residents in the area to exercise increased caution.
According to Thai News Agency, last night at 7:30 PM, the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Headquarters received reports of arson attacks on tires at two locations in Moo 3, Mae Mawai Subdistrict, Yarang District, Pattani Province: one near Highway 410 and the other near La Pae Bridge. Authorities secured the area, assessed the damage, and ensured the safety of residents.
Later, officials received reports that an unknown number of assailants dressed in black entered the area from the rear of the Sa Kho Bon Subdistrict Administrative Organization and set fire to the building at Moo 1, Ban Batakubo, Sa Kho Bon Subdistrict, Mayo District, Pattani Province. As a result, one office building was damaged.
Gunmen set fire to the Sa Kho Bon Subdistrict Administrative Organization building, causing extensive damage. Our news team visited the area around the Sa Kho Bon Subdistrict Administrative Organization and found that this morning, security forces were still maintaining a strong presence, cordoning off the surrounding area and prohibiting unauthorized persons from entering, due to fears that the perpetrators may have planted additional explosive devices.
An internal inspection of the building revealed that the second floor suffered extensive fire damage. Ceilings, walls, and the interior were covered in soot, glass was broken, and tables, furniture, documents, electrical appliances, and a large amount of government property were destroyed. The extent of the damage is currently being assessed.
According to inquiries, prior to the incident, there were five people in the area: security guards and garbage truck personnel. After completing their daily duties, a group of at least 10 assailants, with their faces covered and armed with automatic weapons, approached from the back of the Sa Kho Bon Subdistrict Office before splitting into four groups.
The first group stood guard in front of the building, the second group apprehended the security guards and garbage truck drivers before tying their hands, while the third group brought piles of straw, used for decoration around the sub-district office, and placed them near the front wheels of the garbage truck before setting them on fire, causing minor damage to the truck.
The last group broke into the sub-district administrative office building, doused the entire area with oil, and immediately set it on fire, causing the fire to spread fiercely. After that, all the perpetrators escaped through the same way they came in.
After the incident, local officials and villagers helped to spray water to extinguish the fire before firefighters arrived to control the situation. It took approximately 30 minutes to bring the fire under control. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident; only the security guards and garbage truck operators were shaken.
Meanwhile, officials inspected the site where the perpetrators set fire to car tires on the Yala-Pattani road near Ban Bang Ngokabu, Tambon Mo Mawai, Yarong District, Pattani Province. They found that traffic had returned to normal in the morning, but remnants of three burnt tires, partially remaining, and burnt tire marks were still visible on the road surface. Investigations revealed that at least five assailants, with their faces covered and armed with automatic weapons, emerged from the roadside bushes. They split into two groups; one group maintained a watchful eye while the other placed the three tires across the road and set them on fire, causing a fire that brought traffic to a standstill before the perpetrators fled.
Officials found a suspicious object on the median strip of the road. Latest update today at 7:15 AM: Authorities in the area were notified of a suspicious object found on the median strip of the road in Ban Bo Thong, Moo 6, Bo Thong Subdistrict, Nong Chik District, Pattani Province. Authorities have cordoned off the area around Don Yang intersection and Bo Thong three-way intersection, awaiting the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team to investigate the scene.
Relevant agencies are currently inspecting each incident site, gathering evidence, and assessing the damage in order to proceed with legal procedures. Further details are being verified and confirmed.
The public in the area is advised to exercise increased caution, avoid the incident site and related routes, and to primarily follow information from official government agencies. If you see any suspicious individuals, objects, or vehicles, do not approach, touch, or attempt to handle them yourself. Immediately report it to local authorities or call the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Headquarters hotline at 1341, available 24 hours a day.