Southern Thailand is racked by bombings and arson assaults

• Explosions and fires ripped through at least 17 locations in southern Thailand on Wednesday.
• No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which injured seven people.
• The predominantly Muslim provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have seen a decades-long insurgency.

Authorities said that at least 17 locations in southern Thailand saw explosions and fires on Wednesday. Seven persons were hurt in what appeared to be various coordinated attacks.

According to police and military sources, after-midnight bombs and arson assaults targeted gas stations and convenience stores in three provinces, lightly hurting at least seven people.

So far, no one has taken responsibility for the attacks.

The Thai government has fought against covert groups demanding independence for the largely Muslim regions of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and portions of Songkhla for decades in the southern Thai provinces near the Malaysian border.

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Since 2004, more than 7,300 people have died in the battle, according to the Deep South Watch organisation, which keeps track of the bloodshed.

The 2013-starting peace negotiations have been repeatedly interrupted.

Following a two-year delay due to the pandemic, the Thai government earlier this year resumed talks with the largest rebel organisation, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, which led to Wednesday’s attacks.

The Patani United Liberation Organization (PULO), which was excluded from the most recent round of negotiations, carried out bombs during the auspicious Muslim month of Ramadan because they believe the discussion is exclusive. The government has stated that it is willing to communicate with all groups.

Kasturi Makhota, the organization’s chairman, told Reuters that the attacks on Wednesday had “nothing to do with PULO.”

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