At least two people were killed and 16 others injured when a bomb exploded near a paramilitary vehicle in Thailand’s southern Narathiwat province, Thai media reported Friday.
Local reports said the blast struck a six-wheel truck carrying personnel from the Sukhirin district volunteer defence force in Rom Sai subdistrict of Sukhirin district.
The incident occurred around 3:10 p.m. Reports said the personnel were travelling through the district at the local time in the Ban Baruka-ya-ing area.
Security officials rushed to the scene, cordoned off the area and started helping the injured. Authorities were also gathering evidence and sifting the site.
Some reports said the attackers fired at the vehicle after the explosion. It wasn’t clear immediately who was behind it or how many were involved.
Thai PBS first reported that the personnel travelling in the vehicle were reported to be safe and there were no reported injuries, but later reports said some personnel were wounded. The first accounts were not immediately reconcilable.
The attack occurred against a backdrop of chronic security concerns in Thailand’s southern border provinces, with Narathiwat experiencing repeated episodes of violence.
