Suspected southern insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in front of a gold shop in Tak Bai district in Thailand’s restive southern province of Narathiwat early this morning (Saturday), but there were no casualties.

The force of the explosion, which occurred at about 1.30am, caused extensive damage to the front grille and roof of the shop, located in a building in the compound of the Taba Plaza Hotel. The windows of other shop houses in the area were also shattered.

At about the same time, an unknown number of suspected insurgents threw pipe bombs at a checkpoint, about 100 metres from the gold shop, and engaged in a brief gun battle with eight members of the security forces. Some security force members were slightly injured.