A homemade bomb detonated at a teashop in Narathiwat’s Yi Ngor district on Thursday morning, injuring three police officers and six civilians, authorities reported.

The attack, which occurred at 8:50 a.m. in Moo 1 village, Tambon Yi Ngor, is believed to have targeted police officers who frequently visited the shop for morning tea.

According to investigators, insurgents hid the explosive device inside a rubbish bin beside the teashop, packing it into a half-sawn gas cylinder and detonating it remotely. The blast caused severe injuries to four villagers, while the three police officers and two other civilians sustained minor injuries.

The policemen, seated further inside the shop, escaped the worst of the explosion, while villagers near the front and in a nearby parked pickup truck bore the brunt of the attack.

The Yi Ngor Police Station responded swiftly to the incident, and authorities are continuing their investigation into the insurgency-motivated attack.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. (ILKHA)