Insurgents attack 11 petrol stations hours before local elections

Southern insurgents launched coordinated bomb and arson attacks against 11 PTT petrol stations in the restive southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat early this morning. Police said no one was killed or injured.

The violence occurred just hours before mayoral and councillor elections for the Tambon (sub-district) Administrative Organisations (TAOs) today.

According to police and security sources, two groups of between five and eight insurgents carried out the attacks, targeting mainly PTT petrol stations located in the districts of Cho-airong, Ra-ngae, Waeng, Janae and Su-ngai Kolok in Narathiwat; Kabang, Bannang Sata and Muang districts in Yala; and Muang and Kapho districts in Pattani.

The attacks took place between 12.45am and 1am, when all the stations had already closed at 10pm.

The sources said the insurgent groups arrived at each station on motorcycles and placed improvised explosive devices (IEDs), weighing about 5kg each, near the petrol pumps, hoping the blasts would ignite the fuel and spread to the underground storage tanks, triggering further explosions. Several loud blasts were heard.

At some stations with convenience stores, the insurgents forced staff to leave at gunpoint before setting fire to the premises.

The sources said the coordinated attacks on 11 strategic targets were the first of their kind this year and were intended to undermine the economies of the three provinces.

Veerapat Kiatfuengfoo, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Energy, said he had instructed officials and oil traders in the three southernmost provinces to coordinate with security agencies to increase security at petrol stations and for their staff.

He added that officials had been told to check fuel stocks to ensure there was sufficient supply to meet local demand and to prepare alternative fuel transport routes to the three provinces if needed.