Surveillance cameras, tyres torched in Narathiwat

On Sunday morning, insurgents set fire to surveillance cameras and tyres in five locations within the Ra-ngae district of Narathiwat province, according to security officials. The arson attacks occurred between 12.30am and 1.30am at a subdistrict called Bor-ngo. Village heads and residents reported the incidents to police, stating that unidentified attackers had damaged CCTV cameras and burnt tyres on roads in multiple villages.

Pol Col Suppachat na Patthalung, chief of Ra-ngae police, informed that security teams did not rush to the crime scenes due to concerns that the attacks were staged to lure forces into an ambush. Village leaders and residents initially documented the damage through photographs, which were subsequently forwarded to the police and security authorities.

The targeted areas were road intersections and roadside utility poles fitted with surveillance cameras. Four cameras were either damaged or destroyed, while tyres were set alight on village roads. Physical evidence, such as charred tyre remains, exposed wire, and damaged asphalt, was observed at several sites by local reporters.

Forensic teams are slated to investigate the areas once they have been deemed safe. The attacks are believed to be orchestrated by insurgents who aimed to disable surveillance systems prior to potential assaults in the region. Destroying the cameras also impedes efforts to identify suspects through recorded footage, a strategy often employed in unrest-related incidents in the southern part of the country. No injuries were reported in the incidents.