Bomb explodes in Narathiwat as school set ablaze
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A school in Narathiwat province was set on fire Wednesday night and a bomb targeting government personnel exploded nearby, but no one was wounded.
The blaze took place on the eve of the visit by Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa, and Army chief Prayuth Chanocha.
The twostorey Ban Ta Ngo School was destroyed after being set ablaze when defence volunteers guarding the school went to perform prayers. Traces of gasoline were found in the remains of classroom, where the fire had been set.
About 300 metres from the burned out school building, an explosive device placed in a 20kg fire extinguisher was triggered by radio control, apparently targeting the response team of state security personnel.
Pol Col Prayong Khotsakha, superintendent of Cho Ai Rong police station, led three pickup truckloads carrying 30 police and soldiers to inspect the scene.
An unknown number of attackers believed to have been hiding in a rubber plantation detonated a bomb buried beneath the road surface when the three vehicles passed.
Police said that suspected insurgents likely set the school building afire to ambush the responding police vehicles in retaliation for their crack down on insurgents. No one was wounded in the incidents.
Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa and Army chief Prayuth Chanocha are visiting the violenceplagued southern border region today.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for the South, Gen Prayuth said he would visit local authorities’ operations to ensure their implementation of government policies is in line with the strategies of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC).
With the eighth anniversary of the Krue Se incident on April 28 drawing near, the army chief said he had placed security personnel on high alert with checkpoints being set up by all units. Intelligence work had been increased and efforts were being made to reduce public misunderstanding.
Both officials first visited a military camp in Pattani to review intelligence operations there and hear progress on the investigations of the March 31 car bombings in the Yala and Hat Yai business districts.
While local intelligence is reporting that the number of attacks has dropped, the authorities must remain vigilant as they have not received full cooperation from local residents, the army chief said.
“I ordered officials to work hard all the time and they are now implementing policies as directed by governmentappointed committees to tackle the southern violence,” Gen Prayuth said.
