The Royal Thai Police (RTP) are currently conducting operations in search of the people responsible for the perplexing explosions that disrupted the serene settings in the districts of Mueang, Yala, and Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat on a fateful Saturday night. This unfortunate episode led to two innocent onlookers receiving injuries, bringing with it an unexpected wave of apprehension within the community.
In the blast that occurred in Sungai Kolok, thankfully, there were no casualties reported. But the explosion in Yala saw the tragic demise of the peace and tranquillity of two innocents bystanders who were caught off guard. The authorities have identified the victims to be Sapina Samaeng and Phimlaphat Silarot. Both of them being mere 22-years-old, they were taken to hospital immediately after the incident.
Relying on statements provided by both victims, the RTP stated that they had failed to notice any suspicious activities just before the explosion. The teams of specialized explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) are making meticulous efforts to identify any pieces of evidence, which might contribute towards leading the ongoing investigation to a concrete conclusion.
While this incident was taking place, the Sungai Kolok district witnessed another similar episode around 40 meters away from an improvised security post in Tambon Pasemat, situated in Moo 1. The police chief of Sungai Kolok, Police Colonel Pratchaya Baite, said that their initial investigation leads them to believe that this was a well-orchestrated action, carried out by multiple people, each having a unique yet critical role in the plot.
According to Pratchaya, the first group of individuals transported a vehicle laden with hastily assembled bombs towards a railway crossing that was located near the aforementioned checkpoint. This preparation was followed by the second group initiating gunfire at the checkpoint, thus creating a state of panic and distraction, leading to the explosion. Once all this was done, the third group executed the planned exit for the first group of criminals.
Pratchaya added that, unfortunately, of the two explosives, only one managed to detonate. The unexploded bomb was seen falling off the vehicle because of the force exerted by the blast, going on to land squarely on the railway track. The undetonated bomb was successfully extracted from the scene by an EOD team that arrived the following morning.
Investigators looking into the explosion have stumbled upon substantial evidence in the form of a registered vehicle from Songkhla that was used in the attack. The owner of the car is now a person of interest for the authorities. However, what shocked investigators is the fact that even after such an incident, the vehicle used has not been reported missing as yet.
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