A group of unidentified men, suspected by security forces to be southern insurgents, set fire to a warehouse early this morning that was storing a large quantity of solar panels for the Gunkul Solar Power Generation Company's solar farm project in Yaring district in Pattani province.
Security officials immediately blamed the attack on southern insurgents fighting for an independent Patani state, saying the targeting of a non-military facility demonstrated the destructive nature of militants intent on instilling fear among civilians and obstructing development projects aimed at improving the prosperity of the restive region.
Security forces were alerted to the arson attack at about 3.45am and paramilitary rangers were immediately dispatched to the scene.
The area around the warehouse in Ban Tha Pong was cordoned off and roadblocks were set up to prevent unauthorized access. A team of improvised explosive device (IED) disposal specialists combed the area for additional devices.
On June 9, suspected insurgents broke into a biomass power plant in Nong Chik district of Pattani, held staff at gunpoint and placed IEDs at three key locations.
The devices were detonated as the insurgents withdrew, causing extensive damage to the plant's main building and power generators. No employees were injured.
