Serial blasts rock Narathiwat

Two people were killed and 40 others injured in three serial bomb attacks yesterday evening in Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok district, in what many considered was one of the most violent incidents in the deep South since the new government came into power.

Unconfirmed reports at the time of going to press said a two-year-old girl was the third fatality. A motorcycle bomb exploded at around 6.40pm near the Tae Chiew Clan charity association, injuring several people, while the second bomb went off 15 minutes later about 300 metres away, injuring a number of tourists.

Later at 7.20pm, a 30-kilogram car bomb exploded outside the Merlin Hotel, shattering its glass windows and damaging homes nearby. At press time, there were no details about which explosion killed the two victims.

Mobile-phone signals and electricity were unavailable a long while after the blasts, possibly because the power stations were affected by the explosions and the authorities were jamming the signal to minimise further bomb attacks. Electricity returned at 10pm.

All three sites were located in business and tourist areas, and the attacks took place on Friday night, when people usually go out. Residents have been advised by soldiers to stay indoors for security reasons.

Maj-General Akkhara Thiproj, spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command in the South, said a number of suspects had been arrested and were implicated by the evidence initially available. He added that a bomb was also found near a Chinese shrine, but was defused in time.

The spokesman said the attacks could have been in retaliation for a raid on suspected drug dealers on Tuesday, which turned up a total of 14,000 amphetamine tablets.

After initial reports of four deaths, a statement from Pol Maj-General Chaiyathat Inthanoojit cut the death toll down to two. One of the victims was identified as Seksan Rojjanasiri while the other was a Malaysian tourist.

Among the 40 injured, 13 are in critical condition. The injured include two policemen, one soldier and a civilian defence volunteer.

Human Rights Watch's Sunai Pasuk, said the bombing was a message from the insurgents to show that they would remain active no matter who was in power in Bangkok.

Two policemen had earlier been killed and three villagers wounded yesterday after a shootout during a Friday prayer at the Anulyakin Mosque at Somboon Sarnwittaya School in Yala's Muang district.

A police team led by Colonel Krissada Kaewchandee found that police Senior Sgt-Major Arong Malaya and police volunteer Mahama Yama had died of shotgun wounds to the head.

The three injured villagers are Anuwa Deng, Leuman Yoma and Abdhul Wale Taha. They were being treated in a hospital.

Police said the victims had gone to the mosque to "worship Allah's kindness". A group of four insurgents had parked their motorcycles in front of the mosque. Two of them got inside the mosque and were sitting near the worshippers. Suddenly they stood up and shot them.

They escaped from the mosque and disappeared.

Police believe that the insurgents want to aggravate the violent situation in the deep South.

The Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre will ask the government to extend the emergency decree in the three Southern provinces. Meanwhile, Deep South Watch reported there were more than 11,074 cases of violent incidents in the three southernmost provinces over 92 months.

The large number of cases in the three Southern provinces has prompted Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) secretary-general Panu Uthairat to ask the government to extend the emergency decree in the areas.

The current emergency decree will expire on Monday.

The centre will spend Bt12 billion to develop these Southern provinces.

"I recently met with Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit and informed him about the situation. He said he would put this issue before the Cabinet at its next meeting," Panu said.

Deputy Prime Minister Kowit Wattana yesterday also voiced concern about the escalating violence in the three southernmost provinces.

"Despite signs of improvement, the violence has again intensified," he said.

Kowit said he had instructed the authorities to take extra precautions. He urged all sides to give moral support instead of trying to fault the security officials in charge of quelling violence.

"I am quite concerned about the situation, because September is the month coinciding with the rotation of officials," he said.

He also said the government would not revoke the emergency rule at this juncture.