Three police officers were injured when an unknown number of southern insurgents attacked their outpost, in Su-ngai Padi district of Thailand’s restive southern province of Narathiwat, with automatic gunfire and pipe bombs last night (Thursday).

Police say that two officers received gunshot wounds and a third sustained a shrapnel injury above his right eye. All were taken to the district hospital after the insurgents had retreated.

Two unexploded pipe bombs were found in front of the outpost in Paluru sub-district and a third was found in the bushes nearby.

A bomb disposal squad took about 10 minutes to destroy the three unexploded devices today, using powerful water jets.

The police also found a crater near an abandoned toilet in the bushes, opposite the outpost. They assume that it was caused by the detonation of a 30kg improvised explosive device.