A policeman was killed and four others were injured when a bomb detonated by suspected terrorists exploded in southern Thailand last night.

The device exploded while the police truck was passing the front of the Maikaen hospital in Pattani province shortly before 7.40 PM local time. Emergency services arrived at the scene to find a burning truck which had crashed into an electricity post on the roadside.

Police Senior Sergeant Major Bari Baka was pronounced dead while the four others were rushed to hospital for treatment. They were named as Police Lieutenant Sathian Chueaprasat
, Police Sergeant Major Wichai Kaeolaiat, Police Sergeant Arit Daraphai and Police Sergeant Amat Hayitaye.

Military officials and police blocked the scene while they gather evidence to trace the group responsible.

Investigating officer Police Colonel Torlarp Lengha, Superintendent of Maikaen, said an attacker planted the bomb to target the state authorities.

Police Colonel Kritna Phatthanacharoen, Deputy spokesperson for the National Police Agency, said the bomb exploded when authorities were on patrol on ​​Maikaen Road, Pattani Province

Police General Suwat Chaengyotsuk, National Police Commissioner expressed condolences to the dead policeman.

The southernmost provinces of Thailand - Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat - have been blighted by terrorism for several decades, dating back to a deal in 1909 between the British Empire to incorporate the Muslim region into the main country of Siam.

However, the area's culture is more similar to Malaysia and dramatically different to Buddhist Thais. Following years of tension, armed separatist groups emerged fighting for independence in the 1960s.

The struggle has continued ever since with more than 7,290 people killed between January 2004 and October 2021. There were an average of 38.8 incidents and 36.7 casualties a month in 2021, according to data from Deep South Watch.

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office warns against all but essential travel to the region while Canada's government warns its nationals to 'avoid all travel' to the three provinces.