At around 7pm local time on Saturday, more than 10 attackers opened fire outside the district office in the Thai-Malaysian border town of Sungai Kolok. They also threw explosives and detonated bombs. The attack killed two defence volunteers guarding the office and injured 12 others, including four civilians.

Hours later, another roadside bomb exploded in Saiburi district in Pattani province, killing three more people. Two of them were local village assistants and a ranger. Another person was injured in the attack, local police said. The area is often under security cover due to the insurgency. Thai Prime Minister Phaythongtharam Shinawatra has ordered a tighter nighttime security presence after the attack. He said the number of security forces would be increased and patrols would be tightened.

Following the attack in Thailand, neighboring Malaysia has also strengthened its border security. Forces deployed on the Malaysian border have been asked to be on high alert and special surveillance has been increased at illegal border crossing points. Meanwhile, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry also said that they are closely monitoring the situation as the security situation in Thailand’s Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces has deteriorated. The country’s citizens have been asked to avoid unnecessary travel. At the same time, everyone has been urged to be vigilant for the sake of security.