BANGKOK, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Militants in southern Thailand have targeted businesses in the region, setting fire to 12 locations Friday, officials said.
The attacks happened between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. in Pattani, Yala and Songkhla provinces, the Bangkok Post reported.
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In Yala, four factories and a cellphone tower were torched. Pattani had four incidents, including a fire at the Phithan Panich Co.'s branch in Nong Chik district, where 64 motorcycles and bicycles were destroyed. Three small shops in Songkhla were set ablaze.
"They were aimed at destroying the economy in those areas," said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher on Thailand at Human Rights Watch.
