Thai authorities launched a manhunt on Thursday after an attack on a security checkpoint in the country's troubled southern region left five security personnel dead and six civilians wounded.
The assault took place late Wednesday in the Ra-ngae district of Narathiwat province, where approximately 10 attackers dressed in black arrived in a pickup truck and on motorcycles before opening fire with military-grade weapons and throwing pipe bombs at a roadside checkpoint operated by paramilitary rangers.
Five rangers were killed in the attack. Six civilians were also injured, including a three-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. Authorities said the attackers seized three AK-47 rifles, three bulletproof vests, and several mobile phones before fleeing the scene.
Security forces later located the pickup truck believed to have been used in the attack about 21 kilometers from the checkpoint. The vehicle had been abandoned and set on fire.
Officials sealed off the area and launched an operation to identify and apprehend those responsible. The Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 said it would intensify efforts to investigate the attack and track down the perpetrators.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul condemned the incident, describing it as a terrorist attack aimed at government personnel and a serious threat to national security.
No group immediately claimed responsibility.
Narathiwat is one of Thailand's southernmost provinces, along with Yala and Pattani, where a long-running insurgency has persisted for decades. The predominantly Muslim region has experienced continued violence since the latest phase of the conflict began in 2004, despite repeated attempts to advance peace negotiations.