Attackers Armed with Firearms Torch Biomass Power Station in Narathiwat, Possible Connection to Separatist Organization
In a troubling development, a biomass power plant in Narathiwat was targeted by armed assailants on August 15, 2025. The attack, believed to be part of ongoing separatist efforts, has significant economic and security implications for the region.
According to eyewitnesses, approximately 15 masked attackers, armed with guns, entered the Prize of Wood Green Energy Ltd plant from the rear. The assailants set fire to vehicles and planted explosives at three separate locations within the power plant.
The attack is suspected to have been carried out by militants linked to Abdulloh Bula's group, a militant organisation active in the Waeng district and surrounding areas. This incident is part of a series of similar incidents involving biomass power plants in southern Thailand, with previous attacks occurring in Pattani and Songkhla provinces in 2024.
The targeting of biomass power plants may be linked to ongoing separatist activities or efforts to disrupt state development projects affecting local communities. These violent actions help maintain pressure on the government by damaging infrastructure and escalating insecurity, undermining public confidence in state authority.
The destruction of vehicles and the threat posed by explosive devices impair the operations of biomass power plants, which are part of state-backed development aimed at economic growth and sustainable energy production in the region. Damage to infrastructure increases repair and security costs, potentially discouraging investment in local projects and delaying economic benefits to local communities.
Disruption of energy production impacts local energy supply reliability, potentially affecting broader regional economic activity. Separatist targeting may also relate to disrupting local business rivals or maintaining influence over land use and economic control in the area.
The attack in Narathiwat follows a series of insurgency attacks in Pattani and Narathiwat. In April 2024, two biomass plants in Pattani and Songkhla were targeted by arsonists with explosive devices planted at both sites.
The ongoing insurgency in southern Thailand, including the attack in Narathiwat, is a persistent security challenge where development projects intersect complex socio-political conflicts. ASEAN observers have verified ceasefire violations on the Thai-Cambodian border, indicating a broader regional instability.
Local officers from Narathiwat Provincial Police, along with volunteer defence officials, inspected the scene of the attack this morning. However, due to limited visibility on the access road, the provincial police chief ordered the mission to be postponed until further notice for safety reasons.
The Thai-Myanmar border closure has significantly impacted Thai exports, causing billions in losses, adding another layer of complexity to the region's economic and security challenges.
In summary, the attack on the Narathiwat biomass power plant is a continuation of separatist insurgency tactics designed to disrupt government development efforts and assert control, with significant negative economic consequences for local infrastructure and investment. It is part of a persistent security challenge in southern Thailand where development projects intersect complex socio-political conflicts.
Tags: Narathiwat, Biomass power plant, separatists, deep South, Insurgents, Breaking News.
- The latest attack on the Narathiwat biomass power plant is not only a threat to regional economic growth and sustainable energy production, but also a part of the ongoing war-and-conflicts in the deep South, with links to political activities and crime-and-justice, as it is believed to be carried out by militants with separatist motives.
- As the general-news unfolds, the disruptive tactics used by insurgents in targeting biomass power plants in southern Thailand may not only be aimed at damaging state development projects but also at affecting local businesses and asserting control over land use and economic control in the area, with significant implications for the region's business, politics, and security.
