NARATHIWAT: Thailand has imposed an immediate curfew in the southern border province of Narathiwat following a series of violent incidents involving bomb and arson attacks early Sunday morning.
Narathiwat Task Force Commander Maj Gen Yodawud Puengpak said the curfew, effective immediately and until further notice, prohibits residents from leaving their homes between 9 pm and 5 am.
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“Authorities will implement a series of measures to maintain public order and security, including tightening controls at border checkpoints along the Thailand-Malaysia border,” he told reporters after visiting the affected areas here Sunday.
Earlier, 11 petrol stations across three southern border provinces -- Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani -- were simultaneously targeted in coordinated bomb and arson attacks during the early hours of Sunday.
The Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 (ISOC 4) said in a statement that preliminary investigations indicated the attacks were carried out by masked armed groups.
The targets included five PTT petrol stations in Narathiwat, four in Yala and two in Pattani, with the incidents occurring at around 1.10 am.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he had been briefed on the situation and confirmed that there were no fatalities.
According to Anutin, security agencies assessed that the incidents were intended to send a signal linked to the upcoming general election and were not aimed at carrying out acts of terrorism.
Nevertheless, he stressed that such incidents must not be allowed to recur, adding that coordination had been undertaken with the Fourth Army Region and Provincial Police Region 9 to address the situation.
Asked whether an emergency meeting with security agencies would be convened, Anutin said that discussions were currently ongoing among the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Police have mobilised forces to investigate the incidents and gather evidence following the series of bombings and arson attacks across the three provinces.
Royal Thai Police spokesperson Lt Gen Yingyot Thepjamnong said preliminary inspections found extensive damage to property at the affected petrol stations and convenience stores.
“The incidents resulted in four people being injured, including members of the public and police officers. One of the injured was a police officer from Rangae Police Station in Narathiwat, who was wounded by shrapnel while inspecting the scene at the Tanyongmas petrol station branch,” he said.
The Royal Thai Police reaffirmed their commitment to swiftly restoring peace and order in the area and called on the public to cooperate by reporting any information or suspicious individuals via the 191 or 1599 hotlines, which are available 24 hours a day.
