Just 48 hours after the historic agreement to set up a "Safety Zone" in southern Thailand, the volatile region witnessed a flare up of violence which could potentially derail the "breakthtough" achieved.
Five violent incidents in Narathiwat and Pattani yesterday and on Wednesday in Songkla which killed 11 people in total, including the discovery of a vehicle filled with 100kg homemade bomb, has cast a shadow on the agreement.
"MARA Patani reiterates its commitment to resolving the Pattani conflict through peaceful political dialogue and the establishment of safety zones as a step for civilian protection," said its spokesman Dr Abu Hafez Al-Hakim in a statement to Bernama on Thursday.
The umbrella organisation for several militant groups in southern Thailand does not condone violence involving civilians and children and strongly condemned the attack.
Two days ago, after nearly three years of negotiations, the Thai government and MARA Patani reached an agreement on the general framework for the setting up of a Safety Zone, a designated area free from any form of violence.
The agreement, brokered in Malaysia on Tuesday was hailed by observers as historic and significant towards the peaceful settlement on years of conflict, which has left more than 6,000 people dead.
In today's incident at Rusak district in Narathiwat, a family of four, including an eight-year old boy, was gunned down by unidentified assailants while travelling in a pick-up truck to school.
Two others were injured in the incident, which occurred at 7.30 am (local time).
In the latest incident at a night market in Mayo, Pattani, at 8.30 pm (local time) tonight, three security personnel and a bystander were shot dead by a group of assailants, according to a local police officer,
In an earlier incident in Lubuk Jerai, Mayo at 5.45 pm (local time), a security personnel was shot dead by unidentified men while on his way home after completing his duty.
Yesterday in Thepa, Songkla, police fished out the body of a man and his wife from a river after they were kidnapped by unidentified individuals who stole their car.
Authorities later found the couple's abandoned car near a police base in Thepa and successfully defused the 100kg homemade bomb wired inside the vehicle before it was detonated.
Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha when asked about today's violence said that the incidents would not hamper the peace process and the government would find a way out of the problem in the south.
He said, if the safety zone was successfully implemented, the government was willing to discuss other issues.
His deputy, who is also the Defence Minister, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, said, despite the killing of four people today, the level of violence in southern Thailand had actually reduced to a historic low.
"The number of violent incidents has reduced so much compared to last year, indicating that there is more understanding," he told reporters.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Thu Mar 02 2017
Five violent incidents in Narathiwat and Pattani on Thursday and on Wednesday in Songkla which killed 11 people in total. - BERNAMApic
'No one will win a trade war,' China says after Trump tariff threat
Donald Trump says he would impose the tariffs until China stops the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States.
What has caused Pakistan's deadly clashes between police and supporters of Imran Khan?
Topping the demands of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the release of all its leaders, including Khan, who has been jailed on a series of corruption charges since August 2023.
One woman or girl killed every 10 minutes by intimate partner or family member - UN
The report highlights that "60 per cent of all female homicides" are committed by "people closely related to them".
Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable investigation
Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours.
[COLUMNIST] Building more highways won’t solve traffic congestion - reducing demand will
It is clear that adding more lanes and highways doesn't work, because we are still attempting the same approach to solve the issue.
Hyundai to invest RM2.16 bil in Malaysia through strategic partnership with INOKOM
This investment includes efforts to upgrade INOKOM's existing assembly capacity to meet Hyundai's automotive needs.
‘C4Cinta’ sets record as highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film
'C4Cinta', directed by young filmmaker Karthik Shamalan, has set a new benchmark in Malaysian Tamil cinema.
Man charged with mother's murder, storing body in freezer
The court denied bail and scheduled case mention on Feb 7 for the submission of forensic, autopsy, and chemist reports.
Abolition of examination in schools to reduce pressure on pupils - Fadhlina
The classroom assessment approach offers a much more interesting learning ecosystem, says Fadhlina Sidek.
Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
Google and Meta says the government should wait for the results of an age-verification trial before going ahead.
Judge tosses Trump 2020 election case after prosecutors' request
It represents a big legal victory for Donald Trump, who won the Nov. 5 US election and is set to return to office on Jan. 20.
DHL plane crash in Lithuania leaves authorities searching for answers
Rescue services said the plane hit the ground, split into pieces and slid over 100 metres (110 yards).
National squad to hold friendly matches for 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup
The warm-up matches will involve matches against better ranked teams in the world, namely Austria (first) and Belgium (third).
G7 seeks unity on ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The United States, part of the G7, has rejected the ICC decision, with President Joe Biden describing it as outrageous.
Francissca Peter remembers Tan Sri Ahmad Nawab: A tribute to a musical legend
A legend who has influenced our music for decades, was one of the highlights of my career, says Francissca Peter.
TikTok decision coming soon as Jan. 19 divestment deadline looms
Judges are reviewing TikTok's challenge to a law requiring ByteDance to sell its US assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
Lebanese sources: Biden, Macron set to announce Israel-Hezbollah truce
In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, "We're close" but "nothing is done until everything is done".
PM meets chaebol tycoon to attract more FDI to Malaysia
Chaebols are prominent figures from South Korea's family-owned conglomerates.
Govt won't allow non-citizen vehicles to enjoy RON95 subsidy - Economy Ministry
The implementation of the RON95 subsidy in 2025 is expected to provide savings of RM3.6 billion to government expenditure.
Ringgit opens lower as greenback gains ground
Dr Mohd Afzanizam says the market responded positively to news of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent heading the US Treasury Department.