A manhunt for the suspects behind Monday's bomb explosion near a market in Pattani's Nong Chik district -- which killed two and injured 22 others -- is being ramped up over fears of similar attacks, according to security officials.
The bombing, in front of Bo Thong market at about 4pm on Monday, is believed to be in "retaliation" for the death of a suspected insurgent, killed during a six-hour standoff between rebels and security forces that ended in a gunfight in Yala earlier that morning.
Fourteen-year-old Aidilfitli Yako and Saripah Yosae, 35, were both killed when the bomb went off.
Twenty-two other people were injured, including four military rangers.
The gunfight erupted earlier after a joint-security force cordoned off an area in Yaha district's tambon Katong before closing in on their targets.
One insurgent was killed, while three security officers were wounded in the raid.
The dead man was identified as Abdulloh Lateh, who had seven pending arrest warrants against him.
Following the confrontation in Yala, 18 local people were taken into custody for questioning, while other officers hunted five suspects who fled during the gunfight, a security source said.
Col Thanawee Suwannarat, deputy spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 Forward Command, said security has been beefed up in the southern border areas for the last 10 days of Ramadan, and members of the public are urged to report any suspicious incidents to authorities.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in Tuesday expressed his condolences to relatives of the victims of the latest attacks.
He also condemned the mastermind behind Monday's bombing, saying they deliberately intended to carry out this assault during the holy month of Ramadan.