Bombing at Festival in Tak Province Claims Three Lives and Leaves 39 Injured

Bangkok, Dec 14 (NationPress) A devastating bomb blast during an annual festival in Thailand's Tak province has tragically claimed the lives of three individuals and left 39 others injured, according to officials on Saturday.

In a statement shared via social media, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra extended her heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this tragedy following the explosion that took place shortly before midnight on Friday.

Paetongtarn has directed law enforcement and security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, ensure the arrest of those responsible, and implement enhanced security protocols at future festivals to protect public safety, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Earlier this year, a similar incident occurred when two school children were among eight individuals injured by shrapnel from a roadside bomb in Thailand's troubled southern province of Songkhla.

The injured from the recent bombing included a district assistant chief, a defense volunteer, and several villagers.

The Thai Army's Region 4 Forward Command indicated that the device was likely detonated by southern insurgents as a converted pickup truck passed by, resulting in the vehicle being blasted off the road.

This explosion followed a confrontation between the Thai Army and insurgents, during which five suspected militants were killed by security forces in Narathiwat Province.

In the aftermath of the clash, Colonel Pramote Prom-in, spokesperson for the army's southern command, cautioned about the potential for retaliatory actions from insurgent factions.

Since 2004, the separatist insurgency in Thailand's predominantly ethnic Malay-Muslim regions, including Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat, has resulted in nearly 7,000 fatalities.

The Thai government is currently engaged in negotiations with multiple insurgent groups aimed at establishing peace talks.