BANGKOK
\nAssailants detonated bombs at nearly a dozen petrol stations in Thailand\u2019s south early Sunday, injuring four people, the army said, the latest attacks in the insurgency-hit region.
\nA low-level conflict since 2004 has killed thousands of people as rebels in the Muslim-majority region bordering Malaysia battle for greater autonomy.
\nSeveral bombs exploded within a 40-minute period after midnight on Sunday, igniting 11 petrol stations across Thailand\u2019s southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, an army statement said.
\nAuthorities did not announce any arrests or say who may be behind the attacks.
\n\u201cIt happened almost at the same time. A group of an unknown number of men came and detonated bombs which damaged fuel pumps,\u201d Narathiwat Governor Boonchauy Homyamyen told local media, adding that one police officer was injured in the province.
\nA firefighter and two petrol station employees were injured in Pattani province, the army said. All four were admitted to hospitals, none with serious injuries, a Thai army spokesman told AFP.
\nThailand\u2019s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that security agencies believed the attacks were a \u201csignal\u201d timed with elections for local administrators taking place on Sunday, and \u201cnot aimed at insurgency.\u201d
\nThe army\u2019s commander in the south, Narathip Phoynok, told reporters he ordered security measures raised to the \u201cmaximum level in all areas\u201d including at road checkpoints and borders.
\nThe nation\u2019s deep south is culturally distinct from the rest of Buddhist-majority Thailand, which took control of the region more than a century ago.
\nThe area is heavily policed by Thai security forces \u2014 the usual targets of insurgent attacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BANGKOK Assailants detonated bombs at nearly a dozen petrol stations in Thailand\u2019s south early Sunday, injuring four people, the army said, the latest attacks in the insurgency-hit region. A low-level conflict since 2004 has killed thousands of people as rebels in the Muslim-majority region bordering Malaysia battle for greater autonomy. Several bombs exploded within a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":525079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-525054","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n