Police Seek Warrants for Three Suspects in Narathiwat Bombings

Pictures courtesy of Matichon

Thai authorities are preparing to seek arrest warrants for three suspects linked to coordinated bomb attacks on fuel stations in Narathiwat province, after forensic evidence tied them to the incidents. The attacks damaged petrol stations, 7-Eleven convenience stores and Café Amazon outlets across five districts, heightening security concerns in the southern border region.

The bombings occurred on the night of 11 January 2026, when a group of suspects dressed in black and armed with firearms allegedly met to plan and carry out attacks on five fuel stations in five districts of Narathiwat. Explosive devices were planted at multiple sites, causing significant property damage, though no fatalities were reported.

On 15 January 2026, police said forensic teams had completed initial examinations of evidence collected from the scenes. This included latent fingerprints and DNA recovered from fuel pump areas, remnants of improvised explosive devices and remote control components. The evidence was analysed by the Narathiwat forensic unit and cross-checked against security case records from the three southern border provinces.

Investigators identified three suspects with preliminary but clear evidence linking them to the bombing of a PTT fuel station operated by Fitree Oil Co Ltd in Ban Dusongyo, Moo 1, Dusongyo subdistrict, Chanae district. The first suspect, Burhanudeen Sama-ae, aged 44, from Koh Por subdistrict, Nong Chik district, Pattani, was linked by DNA found on a bomb circuit box and is wanted on two existing warrants, including an attack on a local defence base in Pattani on 23 July 2019.

The second suspect, Hafiz Buesa, aged 28, from Chanae district, Narathiwat, was also linked by DNA found on bomb components. While he is not currently subject to an arrest warrant, police said he was previously a suspect in the fatal shooting of six rangers in Chanae district on 27 April 2017 and escaped during a clash with security forces on 18 January 2019.

The third suspect, Si Masae, aged 44, from Lalo subdistrict, Rueso district, Narathiwat, was identified through DNA found on a battery wrapped in blue plastic connected to an explosive device. He is wanted on eight warrants related to bombings, weapons cases, attacks on security bases, coordinated explosions in southern tourist provinces in June 2025 and an armed gold shop robbery in Sungai Kolok on 5 October 2025.

Matichon reported that police said they are continuing to gather supporting evidence before formally submitting warrant requests to the Narathiwat Provincial Court. Security operations in the affected areas remain heightened as authorities work to locate and arrest the suspects.

Key Takeaways

• Forensic DNA evidence has linked three suspects to coordinated fuel station bombings in Narathiwat on 11 January 2026.

• One suspect is wanted on eight prior warrants, while the others have histories linked to violent security-related cases.

• Police are preparing to seek court approval for arrest warrants as investigations continue.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Matichon 2026-01-16