An armed group stormed a prominent mall in Pattani Province, forcing customers and staff to evacuate before planting three bombs. Authorities believe this was an attempt to create unrest in the area.,
At 7:00 p.m. on 29 Aug 2023, Police Colonel Jeffrey Sailamanakul, Superintendent of Mueang Pattani Police Station, received a report that an unknown number of armed assailants carrying long guns had entered a well-known mall in Village No. 4, Bana Subdistrict, Mueang District, Pattani Province. They threatened and forced employees and customers to leave the mall, causing panic as people fled the area. Subsequently, three explosions occurred inside the mall.
Upon receiving the report, police, military, and local administrative officials quickly mobilized to inspect the scene and immediately cordoned off the surrounding area to prevent unrelated individuals from approaching, fearing leftover explosives or further incidents.
Initial investigations revealed that before the incident, five assailants concealed their faces and were armed with both long and short firearms. They rode two motorcycles and one motorcycle with a sidecar as they entered the mall. Two of the assailants seized control of the security guards stationed at the entrance guardhouse.
Meanwhile, two others went inside the mall, ordering employees and customers to evacuate before placing explosive devices at three separate locations within the mall.
Additionally, the fifth assailant parked the motorcycle with the sidecar carrying explosives at the mall’s central loading and unloading area. Before fleeing, the suspects warned the security guard, “If you don’t want anyone to be killed, immediately evacuate everyone from the mall.” All assailants then fled on motorcycles. Approximately five minutes later, three bombs detonated inside the mall. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed.
At the same time, Police Major General Piyawat Chalermsri, Commander of Region 9, along with explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) officers, inspected the motorcycle with sidecar and discovered a signal box and three cardboard boxes. The EOD team used a robot to disable the bombs’ circuits before moving the sidecar to an open area.
Examination revealed the devices were improvised timed bombs containing nearly 50 kilograms of explosives packed inside gas cylinders, along with seven gallons of gasoline. Fortunately, the bombs did not detonate, possibly due to impacts while the assailants were setting the circuits. Had the bombs exploded, the damage would have been severe.
Authorities continue to maintain a security perimeter and are assessing damage while collecting evidence to rapidly identify and apprehend the suspects. Security agencies believe this was a deliberate attempt to destabilize the area.
Police Major General Piyawat Chalermsri, Commander of Region 9, stated that the three agencies responded to the incident with an EOD team prepared to investigate. Using drones, they surveyed the scene and found the motorcycle with sidecar containing suspicious items likely to be bombs. A robot was deployed to neutralize the devices. Given the manner in which the motorcycle was abandoned, it is believed the suspects intended to lure officials into triggering an explosion to cause casualties. The EOD team has successfully disabled part of the bomb circuits and continues to ensure safety. The initial three explosions caused no damage, and no employees or civilians were harmed.