Yala: Separate bomb attacks struck Thailand's restive southern provinces overnight and on Tuesday morning, injuring three people in Yala and causing damage to a biomass power plant in Pattani, local authorities said.
According to Thai News Agency, in Yala province, an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden in a drainage pipe beneath a road exploded at 8:28 a.m. in front of Ban Pulai School in Raman district. The blast targeted a passing vehicle carrying seven special operations police officers tasked with providing security for teachers and students. The explosion caused the officers' pickup truck to overturn and damaged a resident's motorcycle. Two police officers and one civilian were injured. Following the incident, the Yala provincial governor and the Region 9 Provincial Police commander called an urgent security meeting, instructing personnel to exercise extreme caution when responding to prevent secondary ambush attacks.
Separately, in Pattani province, a group of unidentified armed individuals entered a biomass power plant in Nong Chik district at around 12:40 a.m. The attackers tied up security guards and ordered all employees to gather near the front gate to restrict their movement. They then planted three IEDs at various locations inside the facility before detonating the devices at approximately three-minute intervals. The explosions damaged power equipment and factory buildings, but no injuries were reported from the plant. Police and military personnel have cordoned off the area to allow explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and forensic teams to safely clear the site.
Security officials noted that the power plant had been targeted in a similar manner previously, where attackers planted multiple hidden devices to target first responders.