Charred vehicle discovered in southern Thailand's region
In the early hours of Saturday, a burnt-out vehicle was discovered in Rueso district, Narathiwat, sparking fears of a potential car bomb attack. The vehicle, identified as a grey Nissan Sylphy 1.8 with a damaged Bangkok licence plate 1กอ 397, matched one of the sedans flagged as a suspected car bomb by the Southern Border Provinces Police Operation Center (SBPPOC) in a warning issued on Friday[1][6].
Preliminary investigations revealed the car was abandoned with no owner present before it was set on fire, raising suspicions that the incident was intended to provoke unrest in the area[3]. The police also found remnants indicating an explosion in the vicinity, consistent with bomb-related activity known in Narathiwat, where other bomb attacks have occurred recently, such as an incident injuring two army ranger volunteers near the area[2][5].
Authorities are conducting a detailed investigation to verify if the destroyed car is the same as the one in the warning issued by the SBPPOC[7]. Officials have been instructed to carefully check vehicle identification numbers in the provinces as they could be painted over or swapped[8]. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal and forensic teams have been deployed to examine the scene of the fire and trace the possible route of the burnt vehicle[9].
The incident occurred 300 metres away from the Balo bridge in Ban Bue Jo village 5, tambon Sawo[10]. Both vehicles listed in the warning were reportedly purchased by insurgents[11]. Six high-risk districts in the South-Raman in Yala province and Muang, Rueso, Tak Bai, Su-ngai Padi, and Su-ngai Kolok in Narathiwat were named in the warning[12].
Military sources have reported a possibility that the insurgents may have set the blaze to trick the authorities into an ambush, with the real attack set elsewhere[5]. Pol Lt Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9, made a statement regarding the heightened security measures across the six districts in response to the incident[4].
A photograph of a sedan car shown in the warning issued by the SBPPOC was included in the article[13]. As the investigation continues, the authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the local police.
The discovery of the burnt-out vehicle in Rueso district has raised concerns, sparking fears of war-and-conflicts or crime-and-justice incident, a potential car bomb attack, following the SBPPOC's warning about sedans flagged as suspected car bombs. In the investigation, officials are paying close attention to politics, examining vehicle identification numbers in the provinces, and deploying the Explosive Ordnance Discussion and forensic teams, as the incident might be linked to the ongoing general-news of bomb attacks in Narathiwat.
