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| Southeast Asia | |
| One soldier killed, 2 wounded in southern Thai bombing | |
| 2011-02-04 | |
| A soldier assigned to a teacher protection unit was killed and two others were injured in a roadside bombing in Yala province on Friday, and three local Buddhists were wounded in a shooting in Pattani province. Three soldiers were injured as they were on foot patrol escorting teachers in Yala. Cpl Padungpong Song-archin, 25, was severely wounded and was later pronounced dead on the way to Raman Hospital. The initial investigation found that an IED buried near a rubber tree was triggered as the eight member teacher escort squad was providing security for teachers. In the nearby province of Pattani, gunmen on Friday fired military weapons to three ethnic Thai villagers, wounding all three. The attack was meant to incite unrest in an area where many ethnic Thai Buddhists live. Female ranger gunned down in Pattani Earlier on Thursday night, a female volunteer paramilitary ranger was killed and her boyfriend seriously injured in a drive-by shooting in Pattani province. Ranger Sansanee Bula, 28, of the 44th Ranger Division, and Worawut Chansri, 32, an employee of the Sai Kao forest protection unit, was attacked on a local road at about 8 p.m. on Thursday, while driving motorcycle back home. The victims were shot several times and were taken to the hospital. Ranger Sansanee was later pronounced dead. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that changes are required in the way government forces operate against the insurgency in the south. Mr Abhisit was responding to questions about Thursday's attack by He said he had discussed this with 4th Army commander Lt-Gen Udomchai Thammasarorat, and adjustments were needed to counter-insurgency tactics. First, more cooperation must be sought from locals in order for security forces to set up more checkpoints, because they always complain about stringent action by the military, Mr Abhisit said. More checkpoints would permit fewer opportunities for the insurgents to launch attacks. The prime minister said the insurgents' tactics continue to evolve, and government's tactics must evolve accordingly. He agreed the attack on the Buddhists was an attempt by the insurgents to use religion to divide the people.
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| Posted by:ryuge |