Bomb and gun ambush leaves two Volunteer Defence Corps men dead and 16 wounded in Narathiwat. A huge gas-cylinder device flips their truck before concealed gunmen rake the wreck with fire, as survivors shoot back and attackers flee into the jungle.
A deadly bomb and gun ambush in Narathiwat killed two Volunteer Defence Corps members and wounded all 16 others aboard their truck on Friday. A 50-kilogram gas-cylinder bomb overturned the vehicle before concealed gunmen opened fire, triggering a fierce firefight with survivors. Investigators are probing possible retaliation for a September 9 mountain operation that killed two suspected militants. Weapons recovered there have been linked to earlier attacks stretching back years. The bloodshed follows 51 coordinated incidents across the southern border in August as security forces intensify operations and Bangkok is reportedly seeking to revive stalled peace talks.
Two Volunteer Defence Corps members were killed and 16 wounded in a bomb and gun ambush in Narathiwat on Friday. A powerful roadside bomb first struck their six-wheel truck in Sukhirin district. Seconds later, concealed gunmen opened fire on the wrecked vehicle. Surviving personnel returned fire, triggering a fierce gun battle before the attackers withdrew.
All 18 men aboard the truck were killed or wounded. The attack struck around 3 pm at Ban Barukaya-ing in Moo 2, Rom Sai subdistrict. The location lies in Sukhirin district, close to Thailand’s southern border with Malaysia. In response, security forces moved into the area and sealed off the attack site.
The men were members of the Sukhirin District Volunteer Defence Corps. Earlier, they had travelled to Muang Narathiwat district for a boat-racing event. The event formed part of the Narathiwat Local Products Fair. Afterwards, the group began its journey back to Sukhirin aboard a white Isuzu six-wheel truck.
Attackers detonate huge roadside bomb before gunmen open fire on wrecked Volunteer Defence Corps truck
Along the route, attackers had prepared an ambush. Investigators believe a large improvised bomb was buried beneath or beside the road. Initial evidence indicated that the device used a 50-kilogram cooking-gas cylinder. As the truck reached the site, the bomb detonated with enormous force.
The blast threw the six-wheel truck over and sent it rolling several times. Eventually, the vehicle came to rest upside down. Several men were trapped inside or around the wreckage. At that point, gunmen concealed in dense roadside vegetation opened fire.
Despite the blast, surviving Volunteer Defence Corps members were still able to fight back. They returned fire with their service weapons from around the shattered truck. Consequently, a heavy exchange of gunfire followed around the roadside. The attackers later broke contact and disappeared into the surrounding terrain.
The Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command subsequently confirmed the casualty toll. The dead were Volunteer Defence Corps members Irin Kaewrawang and Nattanant Kaewsuphothi. Meanwhile, every other man travelling aboard the truck was wounded. Twelve casualties were initially taken to Sukhirin Hospital.
Sixteen wounded taken to hospitals as Narathiwat governor orders support and police secure attack site
Separately, four wounded men were transferred to Sungai Kolok Hospital for further treatment. Reported injuries included head wounds, chest injuries, cuts, bruising and swelling. Volunteer Defence Corps member Amarin Khunthong suffered a broken right leg. Other casualties suffered injuries to their heads, backs, legs, ears and noses.
Initial reports differed over the number of seriously wounded men. One account put the figure at six, while another reported five. Nevertheless, Region 4 confirmed the overall toll at two dead and 16 wounded. Its statement did not provide a final severity classification for every casualty.
In parallel, Narathiwat Governor Boonchuay Homyamyen visited wounded personnel receiving hospital treatment. He ordered officials to provide medical care and assistance to the injured. Support was also ordered for the families of the two dead men. Furthermore, he instructed security units to gather evidence and pursue those responsible.
Police Colonel Praphot Lomkhet, superintendent of Sukhirin Police Station, was informed shortly before 3 pm. He then travelled to the scene. Sukhirin District Chief Pichit Rungprasert also joined the response. Police, soldiers, administrative personnel and emergency workers subsequently moved into the area.
However, security teams first had to secure the attack site. They feared additional bombs could have been planted around the road. There was also concern over another attack against rescuers and investigators. Accordingly, personnel established a security cordon while casualties were removed from the overturned vehicle.
Bomb leaves huge crater as forensic teams scour roadside vegetation and probe possible September 9 link
Additional forces secured surrounding ground before forensic teams began their examination. Notably, investigators found evidence of the tremendous force generated by the bomb. A huge crater had been torn into the ground near the wreck. Reports put it at approximately three metres wide and two metres deep.
The truck eventually came to rest about 20 metres from the main blast point. Moreover, bomb fragments were scattered across the road and nearby vegetation. Forensic officers collected the debris for examination. Reports said the detonating mechanism was not immediately recovered.
As part of this work, investigators examined vegetation where the gunmen had apparently taken positions. Security personnel also searched the surrounding terrain for evidence and possible escape routes. The investigation therefore covered both the bombing and subsequent shooting.
On another front, investigators began examining a possible connection with a security operation nine days earlier. That operation centred on the Tawe mountain range in Narathiwat. Joint security forces entered terrain between Ra-ngae and Cho-airong districts around September 9. They were pursuing armed suspects operating in the mountainous area.
Two men killed in Tawe mountain firefight as recovered AK-102 is linked to five previous violent attacks
During that operation, gunmen fired at security personnel. A firefight followed and two men were killed. They were identified as Useng Mama and Useng Je Ming. Reports linked both men with security cases. Additionally, reports concerning Friday’s ambush described them as bomb-making specialists.
Security forces also recovered two rifles during the Tawe mountain operation. One was an AK-102 chambered for 5.56mm ammunition. Its serial number had been removed. Yet forensic examination subsequently connected the weapon with five previous incidents dating from August 2022.
The earliest identified incident involved the shooting deaths of two civilians in Sungai Padi district. That attack occurred in August 2022. Two months later, investigators linked the same rifle to gunfire during an attempted robbery in Waeng district. Subsequently, it was connected with an April 2023 attack against a security position in Cho-airong district.
More recently, investigators linked the AK-102 with a June 2025 attack in Sukhirin district. Volunteer Defence Corps personnel were targeted in that incident. Investigators recovered 16 cartridge cases associated with the rifle. Ultimately, security forces recovered the weapon during the September 9 Tawe mountain operation.
M16 linked to earlier violence as investigators examine possible retaliation for September mountain raid
The rifle was reportedly found beside one of the two men killed. At the same scene, security forces recovered an M16 rifle. Region 4 said that weapon had originally been seized during an attack on a military position. That attack occurred in January 2016.
Since then, forensic records have connected the M16 with several violent incidents across the southern border region. Thus, both recovered weapons had histories extending well beyond the September mountain operation. Investigators were continuing to examine those links.
Against this backdrop, investigators are examining whether Friday’s Sukhirin ambush was retaliation for the September 9 operation. Crucially, that remained an investigative assessment on Saturday. No evidence publicly established retaliation as the motive. Likewise, no organisation had been officially identified as responsible for Friday’s attack.
The reported sequence nevertheless shows several coordinated elements were in position before the truck arrived. A large improvised bomb had been placed along the vehicle’s route. At the same time, armed men were positioned inside vegetation beside the road. The bomb struck first and overturned the truck.
Immediately afterwards, the concealed gunmen opened fire on the wreckage. Surviving Volunteer Defence Corps personnel responded with their service weapons. The attackers then withdrew into surrounding terrain. Security forces subsequently launched searches while emergency workers treated and evacuated casualties.
Gas-cylinder bomb is central evidence as security forces guard scene against possible follow-up attack
For investigators, the bomb itself became a central part of the inquiry. Initial evidence indicated a device built around a 50-kilogram cooking-gas cylinder. Its blast created a crater roughly three metres wide and two metres deep. Furthermore, the truck ended about 20 metres from the main blast point.
Fragments of the device were spread across the attack scene. Investigators recovered pieces from the road and surrounding vegetation. However, the detonating mechanism was not immediately found. Forensic teams therefore began examining the recovered fragments for evidence about the bomb’s construction.
At the same time, security forces maintained a tight cordon around the site. Personnel feared another device could target rescuers or investigators arriving after the initial attack. As a precaution, surrounding ground was searched before detailed forensic work continued. Armed personnel also guarded approaches to the scene.
Friday’s ambush followed several major security incidents in Narathiwat during recent months. In July, five soldiers were killed in another combined bombing and shooting attack. Then, on August 22, coordinated incidents struck locations across Thailand’s southern border provinces.
Fifty-one attacks hit southern border region as security operations intensify across Narathiwat province
There were 51 incidents across the southern border region that day. Many were concentrated in Narathiwat. Targets included government buildings, telecommunications infrastructure, electricity facilities and vehicles. Subsequently, security operations continued across the province’s rural and mountainous districts.
In particular, the Tawe mountain range became a focus of recent operations. Weapons recovered there have since been linked through forensic testing with earlier attacks. The AK-102 recovered on September 9 was connected with incidents dating from 2022. By comparison, the M16 had a reported history extending to 2016.
Elsewhere, the violence came as Bangkok sought to restart the stalled southern peace process. Thailand’s chief negotiator said in August that the government was prepared to reconsider its approach. Security operations against armed networks have continued alongside those efforts.
By Saturday, the immediate investigation remained centred on the Sukhirin attack site. Investigators examined bomb fragments, firearms evidence and positions apparently used by the gunmen. Meanwhile, security teams were reconstructing the truck’s movements before it reached the ambush point.
Police reconstruct truck journey as teams examine bomb fragments and positions used by the gunmen
The 18 men had travelled from Sukhirin to Muang Narathiwat for the boat-racing event. Later, they boarded the six-wheel truck for their return journey. They were travelling through Moo 2 in Rom Sai subdistrict when the bomb struck.
First, the blast overturned the vehicle and scattered debris across the roadway. Then gunfire came from concealed positions beside the route. Despite suffering heavy casualties, surviving Volunteer Defence Corps members immediately returned fire. Eventually, the attackers withdrew from the area.
Irin Kaewrawang and Nattanant Kaewsuphothi were killed. The remaining 16 men aboard were wounded. Twelve initially went to Sukhirin Hospital, while four were transferred to Sungai Kolok Hospital.
By then, security forces had launched a search for those responsible. Investigators were also examining the possible September 9 connection. However, no final conclusion had been announced by Saturday.
No group identified and no arrests reported as security forces continue hunt for Narathiwat attackers
At this time, no group had been officially identified as responsible. No arrests had been reported. Consequently, investigators remained focused on forensic evidence, the bomb and the gunmen’s movements.
For security forces, the attack left a large and complex crime scene. A powerful bomb had struck a truck carrying 18 Volunteer Defence Corps members. Gunmen then fired on the wreckage from concealed positions. The survivors fought back before their attackers disappeared.
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By Saturday, forces remained deployed across the area as the investigation continued. Two men were dead and every surviving occupant was wounded. Meanwhile, the hunt for the attackers continued across the surrounding terrain.
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