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| Southeast Asia |
| Multiple bombings and shootings kill two, injure many in Thailand |
| 2007-10-31 |
| Eight people were wounded in a string of bombings in this violence-plagued province of Narathiwat overnight Tuesday. Early Wednesday, a bomb exploded at an aerobic dancing ground near a village in Sungai Kolok municipality wounding three people, who were exercising there. The bomb was detonated by a digital clock mechanism. Another five-kilogramme bomb exploded near a roadside restaurant in Sungai Kolok municipality but no one was wounded in the incident. Meanwhile, bomb disposal squad defused two bombs, planted near a food shop in the Sungai Kolok municipality. Time bombs, they were set to blow up at 6.30 and 6.40 am respectively. Police used a robot equipped with high pressure watergun to destroy the bombs. On Tuesday night, ten karaoke entertainment venues were bombed in Narathiwat's provincial seat. Five persons were wounded and rushed to hospital, while police detained three suspected bombers for questioning. One person was pronounced dead at hospital, while four others are in stable condition. Plus: A defense volunteer was gunned down in Pattani, and eight persons were wounded in separate shooting attacks in Yala. Local defense volunteer Muhamamalanung Yala, 37, was shot in the head along a road in Sai Buri district by a lone gunman on a motorcycle. The victim died instantly at the scene. A village head was shot in the leg in a drive-by shooting in Yala's Muang district. Village chief Adisorn Salae was riding a motorcycle, passing a mosque when he was attacked by a gunman on a motorcycle. He was rushed to nearby hospital. In Yala's Bannang Sata district, at least three gunmen ambushed a pick-up truck carrying seven persons, all of whom were wounded. The seven victims were rushed to hospital. A police response force is hunting the gunmen. Police believe that the ambush was in retaliation for the alleged extrajudicial killing of two insurgents in the area on Tuesday. The authorities also seized a number of items including weapons and explosives. Meanwhile, an unknown number of attackers opened fire at a paramilitary ranger base in Yala's Yaha district. The rangers exchanged gunfire with the gunmen before they retreated. No one was wounded in the incident. In other development, visiting police at the operations centre of the Royal Thai Police Army in Yala, Army chief Gen. Anupong Paochinda said he had no special insight into the series of bombings in Narathiwat municipality and at karaoke entertainment venues in which one person was killed and seven were wounded. Gen. Anupong said the insurgents may have attacked in retaliation for government operations or the insurgents may want to flex their muscles and show off their power. However, the Army chief said officials will tighten security to do their utmost to prevent the recurrence of such attacks. Speaking about overall situation, he said coordination between the combined forces and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) will help resolve the problem in the long term. |
| Posted by:ryuge |