The 2012 Southern Thailand bombings were a series of bombings that took place in Yala, Yala Province and in

Hat Yai Hat Yai ( th, หาดใหญ่, , also Haad Yai or Had Yai) is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. It is south of Bangkok, and has a population of 156,802 (2019) in the city itself and an urban population of about 400,00 ...

, Songkhla Province, on 31 March 2012.

Attacks

Yala

The first attack involved a truck bomb that ripped through a busy shopping district in Yala. About 20 minutes later, a second bomb planted in a motorcycle exploded as rescuers convened at the site of the original bombing. Later, a third explosion from a device placed in a car set fire to nearby buildings. About 11 people were killed and 110 wounded by the blasts, with the second explosion causing a majority of casualties.

Hat Yai

Following the bombings in Songkhla, an explosion in the basement Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel damaged that building and an adjacent McDonald's in Hat Yai, killing at least four and leaving 416 wounded, mainly from smoke inhalation. It was first reported to be the cause of a gas leak but later was attributed to a car bomb. The bombing was regarded by some sources as an escalation in the insurgency because its target was a hotel popular with tourists from

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

."Car bombs kill 13 in southern Thailand." ''Hindustan Times''. 1 April 2012. Accessed 1 April 2012. http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/RestOfAsia/Car-bombs-kill-13-in-southern-Thailand/Article1-833759.aspx

Suspects

The attacks have been regarded by most major news outlets as part of the broader

South Thailand insurgency The South Thailand insurgency ( th, ความไม่สงบในชายแดนภาคใต้ของประเทศไทย; ms, Pemberontakan di Thailand Selatan) is an ongoing conflict centered in southern Thailand. It ...

. While no terrorist organisation took responsibility for the bombings, the most likely culprit is the Gerakan Mujahidin Islam Patani (GMIP) separatist movement, which is a splinter group of the Gerakan Mujahidin Pattani. According to security sources, Sahudin Tohjehmae was suspected to carry out the three bomb attacks with the help of Saifulloh Sahfru, a terrorist suspect who is a friend of Faisol Hayisama-ae, who was suspected of carrying out the bomb attack at

Hat Yai International Airport Hat Yai International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานหาดใหญ่, ) is an international airport in southern Thailand in Songkhla Province near the city of Hat Yai. It is under the management of Airports of Thailand, PL ...

in 2005.

Attacks

Yala

Hat Yai

Suspects

References

See also