A bomb exploded in the toilet of a petrol station in Narathiwat's Sisakhon district last evening, injuring three. A male resident was later detained during a raid on his home in the district on suspicion of involvement in the attack.
The blast occurred at about 6pm inside a female toilet at a PTT petrol station in Moo 1, Sako sub-district. Initial investigations indicated that the explosive device had been hidden inside a bin.
Three women who were using the toilet at the time suffered minor injuries. They were taken to Sisakhon Hospital, treated and later allowed to return home.
CCTV footage showed a male suspect, aged between 25 and 30, with shoulder-length hair, wearing a sarong and a shirt. He was seen riding a black Honda Wave motorcycle away from the station shortly before the explosion.
Security forces and police from Sisakhon police station launched a coordinated operation at around 9pm last night to track down the suspect, based on CCTV footage and information from local residents.
The suspect, identified only as ‘Irfan’, was later located at his home in Moo 8 of Sisakhon sub-district.
A search of the house uncovered two homemade .22-calibre firearms, one homemade air gun and a large firecracker. Officers also seized clothing and a FILA shoulder bag matching those seen in CCTV footage, as well as a motorcycle believed to have been used in the attack.
Authorities said the bombing was intended to cause disruption in the area rather than to target specific individuals.
