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Southeast Asia
Massive car bomb kills one, injures 13 in southern Thailand
2012-02-10
A car bomb killed one and wounded 13 people in downtown Pattani province yesterday morning. Local officials said an explosion was heard at around 8 a.m. It was a bomb believed to weigh about 30 kg planted in a stolen pickup truck that had been parked in front of the provincial health office.

Shrapnel severely injured a retired government official identified as Manit Uma. He lost his right arm and sustained serious head wounds. He died at the hospital later. Two men aged 18 and 37 were seriously injured by shrapnel and severe burns. Eleven others were slightly wounded, including two girls aged two and five.

The pickup truck that carried the bomb had phony license plates. Investigators checked its engine number and found it belonged to a Pattani woman identified as Wachiraporn Maneechote. She had been attacked by gunmen on Nov 27 last year and they had stolen her vehicle.

The explosion set fire to vehicles and passers-by. The blast tore the truck in half leaving the two sections 15 meters apart. It also damaged the provincial health office, a local educational office, residences of an assistant provincial governor and judicial authorities, and people's houses in a radius of 300 meters.

The location is full of government offices and residences of high-ranking officials and the road is a frequent route for pupils and government officials. However, the blast happened after children had reached school and before government officials left their homes.

Authorities thought the bomb was meant to target defense volunteers who would have used the road to gather at the Pattani provincial hall at 9 a.m. for an event marking the anniversary of the Territorial Defense Volunteers Administration. However, the nearly 1,000 defence volunteers took a detour.

Another bomb exploded on a local road in Narathiwat province at 7:50 a.m. yesterday. It is believed the bomb was intended to attack a group of six soldiers returning from escorting local teachers to school. The blast injured a sergeant major and a private.

In Bangkok, the National Security Council (NSC) approved a policy to be implemented in the next three years for peace-keeping operations in the South. The NSC secretary-general said the policy focused on peaceful solutions to violence in southern border provinces.
Posted by:ryuge

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