Policeman dies in explosion in Yala

YALA: An officer with the Border Police died early this morning in an explosion near the Ton Maphrao market in this southern city. Police said the blast, at 1:25 am, was unlikely to have been the work of Muslim militants. It was more probable, they said, that the officer killed himself accidentally with one of his own hand-grenades. Pol Sgt Panom Sukvichai of Yala Police Station named the victim as Pol Cpl Suradej Somsorn, a Border Police officer originally from Nakhon Sri Thammarat province. He told the Gazette that the dead man had been on duty providing security in front of Wat Yala Thammaram, also known as Wat Mai, when the explosion occurred. The blast blew all the windows out of the vehicle and bent the roof upwards. Cpl Suradej was rushed to Yala Center Hospital but was declared dead 30 minutes later. “I don’t believe the explosion was linked to Muslims or was the result of a reaction to the US attacks on Afghanistan,” Sgt Panom said. “The situation with the Muslim people here is calm, and there are no signs of any movement. “We are still investigating, but it is possible that he killed himself accidentally with one of his own grenades,” Sgt Panom said.