Bomb, arson attacks rock Thailand's south

Nearly two dozen bomb and arson attacks erupted across Thailand's insurgency-torn south shortly after midnight, the army said yesterday, causing widespread blackouts but no casualties in the Muslim-majority region.

The violence, which saw more than 50 electricity poles toppled by explosives and tires set alight, struck only hours after Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn signed a new military-backed charter into law.

"There are 23 simultaneous incidents in three southern provinces and four districts of Songkhla," said Colonel Pramote Prom-in, an army spokesman for the south.

The border provinces have sizzled with violence for over a decade as ethnic Malay rebels battle Thai troops for more autonomy from the Buddhist-majority state.

The fighting has claimed more than 6,800 lives -- mostly civilians -- since 2004.

The region was one of few areas to reject the ruling junta's constitution in a referendum that saw the document approved last year.

The new charter curbs the power of elected lawmakers and will bolster the army's role in government even after the junta steps down following elections expected in late 2018.