Two police on teacher-protection duty and a civilian were injured when a roadside bomb exploded in Raman district of Yala province on Tuesday morning.
The bomb was detonated about 8.35am on a local road in front of Ban Pulai School in tambon Balo as a vehicle carrying members of a police special operations unit drove by. They were on duty, assigned to provide protection for teachers.
The force of the blast overturned the vehicle. Two officers and a nearby civilian were injured by the explosion and were rushed to a local hospital for urgent treatment.
The attack drew strong condemnation as it was immediately outside a school, placing the safety of students and staff at risk.
The Internal Security Operations Command on Tuesday described it as a brutal act by insurgents targeting officers performing their duty to protect schools.
An Isoc spokesman said the bombers aimed to instil fear and undermine national security, and showed no regard for the safety of civilians, teachers or students.
The attack underscored the continued efforts by militant groups to stir up unrest in the southern region. Isoc and other security agencies had been instructed to step up proactive monitoring, safeguard the public, schools and high-risk areas, and ensure tighter security controls.
The Isoc spokesman said people in the region should remain vigilant, keep an eye open for suspicious activity or objects, and report anything unusual to Isoc’s 24-hour hotline, 1341.
