NARATHIWAT, Thailand – Two Malaysian tourists were injured when a roadside bomb detonated in southern Thailand, hitting their vehicle instead of an intended paramilitary target, officials said.
The blast occurred in Tak Bai district, Narathiwat province, leaving a crater 2 meters deep and 4 meters wide. Bomb disposal experts recovered fragments of a 70-kilogram improvised explosive device (IED) packed into a gas cylinder and detonated via radio. The two Malaysian men inside the heavily damaged sedan were rescued and hospitalized.
An initial investigation showed an armored pickup truck carrying four Volunteer Defense Corps personnel was passing the area. As the tourists’ car overtook the official vehicle, suspected militants detonated the bomb hidden inside a roadside drainage culvert. Authorities blamed local insurgent groups for the attack. The Governor of Narathiwat ordered full medical care for the victims and coordinated with the Malaysian consulate and relatives regarding compensation. Security forces have secured the area, raised local security to the highest level, and launched a manhunt for the perpetrators. (TNA)
