Bomb, arson attacks on convenience stores injure 3 across Thai Deep South

Authorities are investigating a string of coordinated attacks on convenience stores and gas stations that injured at least three people late last night in the restive Deep South.

Bombs exploded at 11 locations across Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat provinces, where a longrunning insurgency has raged for nearly two decades in what seems the first major attack carried out by insurgent forces in years. There were no reported fatalities.

In Yala, witnesses said an unidentified man disguised with a hijab and carrying a black bag entered a 7-Eleven at a PTT gas station and said, “If you don’t want to die, then everyone get out.”

They complied. An explosion tore through the store 10 minutes later, sparking a fire that took firefighters 30 minutes to douse.

Three other locations in the province were hit including two other 7-Eleven branches in the Bannang Sata…