New Explosion in Thailand: Father and Daughter Killed in Front of a School

A father and his five-year-old daughter lost their lives following a new explosion in southern Thailand in front of an elementary school. This incident occurred on September 7, due to the explosion of a bomb-laden motorcycle in Narathiwat, a region predominantly inhabited by Muslims, where violence and conflicts between separatists and the Thai army and security forces have been ongoing for over a decade. The Internal Security Operations Command, which is affiliated with the military, informed reporters that the motorcycle that exploded was parked at the entrance of the school. Eight others were also injured in this explosion. Yuthanam Patchmwang, a spokesperson for this security command, told Reuters that they suspect the attack was carried out by 'those who intend to create instability and chaos.' No further details were provided regarding these 'individuals.' This explosion occurred four weeks after a series of explosions in three coastal cities in Thailand; at that time, the Thai police emphasized that the explosions were not related to 'international militia groups' and that domestic 'saboteurs' were responsible. In the coastal explosions, at least four people were killed and dozens injured. On August 24, two bombs exploded in the city of Pattani in southern Thailand, leaving at least one dead and 30 injured. The Thai defense minister stated that there was no connection between the Pattani explosion and the attacks in the coastal cities. Security forces have reported the arrest of a suspect in connection with the August explosions and now claim there is a link between them and the southern separatists.