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| Southeast Asia |
| Attack kills 7 soldiers in southern Thailand |
| 2007-06-15 |
| A roadside bomb and shootings killed seven soldiers Friday in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces this year in Thailand's restive south, amid tightened security on a key anniversary of a 15th Century Islamic sultanate. The soldiers were rushing to the site of a gunbattle between soldiers and suspected Muslim insurgents in Yala province's Bannang Sata district when a bomb exploded near their vehicle, police Col. Anirut Im-Erb said. The explosion killed some soldiers instantly, he said. An unknown number of assailants then opened fire on them, leaving the total number of soldiers dead at seven with one severely wounded. Authorities have stepped up security over concerns that violence may escalate on the anniversary of the establishment of the Sultanate of Pattani, founded on June 15, 1457, said army spokesman Col. Akara Thiprote. Soldiers are increasingly falling victim to the roadside bombings and shootings, with seven killed in an explosion in May and three killed in a bombing in April. In a separate incident Friday, a lone gunman killed three Muslim leaders and seriously injured a fourth when he sprayed their vehicle with assault rifle fire in Pattani's Mai Kaen district, police Maj. Hantee Koraharee said, adding that police were investigating the shooting. After three Muslim religious leaders where killed earlier this week in separate attacks across the south, local villagers blamed the deaths on the army and demanded authorities bring the culprits to justice. At the time, Akra said Muslim insurgents were behind the killings. He said the insurgents killed them, then blamed local authorities in an effort to instigate hatred against government officials. |
| Posted by:ryuge |