Insurgents Torch Machinery & Vehicles at Biomass Facility

Picture courtesy of Amarin.

A group of armed insurgents stormed a biomass power plant construction site in Waeng district, Narathiwat, late night on 15 August, torching heavy machinery and vehicles before detonations were heard.

Police confirmed that more than ten militants, armed with rifles and dressed in black with their faces covered, infiltrated the compound from the rear, near the Kolok River, shortly before midnight on 15 August. The attackers tied up a security guard at gunpoint before setting fire to a backhoe, a six-wheeled lorry and a wheeled bulldozer parked within the facility.

As the blaze spread, three loud explosions were reported. Authorities are investigating whether the blasts were caused by improvised explosive devices or the ignition of fuel tanks on the vehicles. Initial inspections of CCTV footage showed flames erupting in at least three separate locations within the compound.

By the time security forces arrived, smoke and flames billowed from the elevated hillside site, some 300 metres inside the facility’s main gate. Officers cordoned off the area overnight amid fears of secondary attacks.

At 09.30 on 16 August, senior police and military officers, accompanied by explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams, attempted to approach the damaged structures. However, the route was obstructed by large stacks of timber fuel intended for electricity production, making the approach unsafe. The inspection was called off, until the site was cleared and declared safe.

Subsequent checks revealed that, in addition to the arson, at least two improvised bombs had been planted against the walls of the control room and another building within the power plant. Both detonated, leaving visible blast damage. A third explosion reported during the night has yet to be fully accounted for.

The facility has suspended operations temporarily pending a full forensic investigation. The security guard who was restrained by the attackers was later freed by colleagues and is now assisting police with enquiries.

Authorities suspect the attack was carried out by a militant cell loyal to Abdulloh Bula, a leading figure in recent violent incidents in Waeng district and surrounding areas. Police have summoned staff who were on duty during the night to provide statements, while forensic teams are analysing blast fragments and other evidence recovered from the scene.

Officials have condemned the attack, describing it as a deliberate act of sabotage aimed at destabilising the region and undermining local infrastructure.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-08-17