Car bomb explosion at Thai police compound leaves at least one dead, 30 injured

A car bomb explosion near a school and close to the police station claimed one life and left at least 30 people injured in southern Thailand on Tuesday.

According to reports, the blast occurred opposite Narasikkhalai School, Muang District, Narathiwat Province just before 6 am GMT.

A video shared on social media purportedly showed smoke billowing out of the compound as fire tenders try to douse the flames. WION could not independently verify the authenticity of these clips.

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The deceased has been identified as a police officer, while the injured include civilians and police personnel, who are at the hospital getting treatment, Pornprasit Jantra, director of the Narathiwat Rajanagarindra hospital, said, reports Reuters news agency.

Lieutenant ColonelNiti Suksan, the deputy police commissioner of Narathiwat province, said that the casualties might increase.

“It was a car bomb. We are still clearing the area and the number of injured could increase,” he said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

The Southern Thailand region, which borders Malaysia, has been a victim of low-level insurgency for decades. The Thai government has been battling extremist groups who have been seeking independence for the predominantly Muslim provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla.

This is not the first attack on the establishment that has occurred, In August, explosions rocked 17 locations in southern Thailand, in what appeared to be multiple coordinated attacks that injured seven people.

Since 2004, more than 7,300 people have been killed in the conflict, according to the Deep South Watch group, which monitors the violence.

Peace talks that began in 2013 have faced repeated disruptions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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