Three rangers were killed and five others wounded, two seriously, by a bomb explosion in Narathiwat’s Cho Airong district early on Thursday, as peace talks began between the Thai government and representatives of separatist groups in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Lt-Gen Udomchai Thammasaroraj, the 4th Army commander, said he believed the attack was intended to disrupt the peace-making process.
“We suspect this was the work of local militants who want to discredit the peace talks under way in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
The talks began between a 15-member Thai delegation and representatives of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) and several other insurgent groups.