PATTANI, Thailand – Thai authorities have detained two suspects following a bomb and arson attack on a convenience store in Pattani province, marking a third consecutive night of violence in the country’s southern border region, officials said on Tuesday. The incident occurred around 8:20 p.m. on Monday at a convenience store in Mayo district. According to local authorities, four armed individuals arrived on motorcycles, forced staff and customers to evacuate, and set off an explosive device alongside flammable liquid. A brief three-minute firefight broke out between the assailants and a passing police patrol before the suspects fled the scene. The subsequent explosion caused extensive damage to the building and inventory, though no injuries were reported among security personnel or civilians.
Following the clash, security forces tracked bloodstains leading away from the scene, believing the suspects were wounded in the exchange of gunfire. Authorities have alerted local medical facilities and pharmacies to report anyone seeking treatment for gunshot wounds. Two suspects were later detained at a checkpoint and transferred to an interrogation center for questioning and further investigation. Forensic and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams have cordoned off the area to collect evidence. The incident marks the second attack on a convenience store in Pattani in recent days, following a similar bombing in Yaring district on August 22, with total damage across the two locations estimated at over 20 million baht. (TNA)
