Gunmen storm Pattani department store, set off bombs

On Saturday evening, armed insurgents infiltrated a major department store in Pattani, compelling patrons and employees to evacuate prior to the detonation of three bombs. Security officials suspect the assailants sought to incite unrest in the southern province prior to approaching talks in Malaysia. The assault on the Global House store in Muang Pattani district started shortly before 7pm.

Dressed in masks, five gunmen arrived on two motorcycles and a motorcycle-sidecar unit. Two of the attackers subdued security guards at the entrance, while the remaining three entered the store, ordering everyone to leave. They then planted three explosive devices in various locations within the building. One of the suspects informed a security guard, "If you want to avoid any deaths, please help everyone exit the store immediately."

The intruders then fled on motorcycles. Approximately five minutes later, the bombs went off, with no reported casualties or injuries. Authorities cordoned off the area due to concerns about unaccounted explosives. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, led by Lt Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, governor of Provincial Police Region 9, inspected the motorcycle-sidecar left in the loading bay.

A drone detected suspicious items inside the vehicle, prompting the team to deploy a robot to deactivate the bomb before moving the sidecar to a secure location for analysis. The vehicle contained a 50-kilogram bomb and seven gallons of gasoline, which the EOD team safely deactivated over two hours. The Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 released images of the gas cylinder and fuel containers used as an improvised bomb inside the store.

Police believe the device may have malfunctioned after its trigger mechanism was disturbed during transport, but it was still capable of causing significant damage. Authorities remained at the scene on Sunday morning to evaluate damage and collect forensic evidence.