Suspected Muslim insurgents detonated a car bomb in southern Thailand that killed five people on Friday, police said, after businesses received warnings against opening on Fridays.
The suspects opened fire on a gold shop in Pattani province’s Sai Buri district, hurting no one and fleeing, police Col. Asis U-mayee said. When security forces arrived at the scene, two bombs hidden in gas canisters in a nearby pickup truck went off, he said.
An administrative official and four civilians were killed. Several police officers were among the nearly 20 people wounded.
The explosion set fire to buildings on both sides of the road in the town’s commercial area, damaging rows of wooden shop houses.
Authorities said insurgents had distributed flyers in the past two weeks to warn local traders against operating their businesses on Fridays.
The attack came after a recent high-profile surrender of nearly 100 Muslim militants to the Thai authorities.
