BANGKOK and TAIPEI – Gunmen attacked Lao military positions in Bokeo province near the northern Thai border, sources told Radio Free Asia on Monday. A news report said at least five Lao soldiers were killed in the ongoing violence that may be retaliation for a drug trafficking crackdown.
The attack began on Saturday evening, when the fighters stormed and seized three out of four Lao military outposts in Phu Pha Mon and Ban Chiang Tong, located in Pak Tha district, according to Thai-language media outlet Transborder News, which cited unnamed sources.
Supoj Langkawira, chief of the Thai border district of Wiang Kaen, confirmed the assault to RFA. He said the fighting peaked on Sunday and had since subsided.
“There were heavy clashes inside Laos, about 2 kilometers deep, but I don’t have many details. Thai soldiers and officials spread along the border to keep peace,” said Supoj. He didn’t have information on casualties.
Supoj said that his office contacted Lao authorities, but they have yet to receive a response.
A diplomatic source in the Lao capital Vientiane told RFA they had confirmed the assault with “reliable sources.”
A document circulated on social media and reviewed by RFA shows that the district chief of Boten in Laos’s Xayaburi province issued an urgent directive instructing local authorities to remain on alert for potential armed conflict at all hours. The notice, however, provided no further details about the situation.
At least five Lao soldiers were killed, with several more wounded or trapped as fighting entered its third day on Monday, Transborder News said. Lao forces attempting to evacuate the wounded have come under fire, the report said.
A senior officer was allegedly ambushed and killed while trying to reach the conflict zone. A 7-year-old girl is said to be trapped inside one of the besieged bases, according to the news service.
Communities beyond Pak Tha have been cut off from supplies, Transborder News reported.
RFA has not independently verified the details of the Transborder News report.
A Thai paramilitary unit has been deployed along the border. Stray bullets have reportedly struck village rooftops, prompting heightened security and 24-hour patrols across high-risk areas such as Pha Bong and Phu Chi Dao, Transborder News said. Thai naval patrols have also been increased along the Mekong River to prevent cross-border violence.
The Lao government has not commented.
The motive behind the attack is believed to be connected to a major drug enforcement operation in the same region, Transborder News reported.
On April 21, Lao authorities seized more than 20 million methamphetamine pills in Bokeo Province after an abandoned truck loaded with narcotics was discovered in Ton Pheung district. The case is considered one of the largest drug hauls in Laos’ history.
Sources told Transborder News the assault may be an act of retaliation by transnational drug syndicates with ties to armed ethnic militias.
A Thai official, who didn’t want to be named because he’s not authorized to speak to the media, told RFA that the perpetrators could be from Myanmar’s Wa minority who produce and traffic drugs around the Golden Triangle where Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet.
Laos has ramped up its anti-drug efforts in recent years, especially in the Golden Triangle region, a notorious hub for narcotics production and trafficking. In 2024 alone, Lao authorities handled 3,395 drug-related cases and arrested 5,168 individuals, including nearly 200 foreign nationals.
News of the border assault has triggered a wave of grief and outrage on Lao social media, where users are demanding answers and criticizing the government’s silence.
Hashtags related to Bokeo Province and Wiang Kaen have surged on Facebook and TikTok, with users posting unverified images from the conflict zone and mourning the loss of Lao soldiers.
Edited by Mike Firn and Stephen Wright.
