Bomb and grenade attacks rattle Thailand’s southern provinces
The Thai PM has described the attackers as “opportunists” after a wave of coordinated bomb attacks by suspected insurgents hit Thailand’s “deep south” in the lead-up to new year and the resulting long weekend.
The latest attacks occurred on Friday night in a series of seven separate incidents in three separate districts of Narathiwat province.
Two bomb attacks occurred in Sri Sakhon district, four in Chanae district, and militants “ambushed a base in Rangae district” using grenades. The homemade bombs were “detonated by radio,” according to police commander Major General Dussadee Choosungkit.
No one was injured in the raids.
The attacks prolong a bout of violence that began late Monday evening when a policeman died in an explosion from a detonated roadside bomb hidden in a gas cylinder.
In nearby Songkhla province on Wednesday night, two bombs rocked popular tourist site Simila beach, causing no fatalities but damaging to two seaside statues.
At this stage Songkhla police have mad no arrests.
Major General Dussadee said the Songkhla bombings were not connected to his province’s troubles – which he said is payback for a December 12 raid on the insurgents’ camp in Narathiwat.
PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha has instructed officials to step up security measures after the attacks, said government spokesman Buddhipongse Punakanta yesterday.
SOURCE: The Nation | AFP
