Major killed in a bomb attack
A roadside bomb went off in Pattani's Nong Chik district yesterday morning, killing a senior Army officer and wounding five others.
The 20kg home-made bomb, hidden in a pipe underneath a local road in Tambon Bor Thong, went off at around 11am and hit the six-strong “Santisuk” special task force team. They were returning in a pickup truck after a meeting of the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Front at the Sirindhorn Camp in Pattani's Yarang district.
Major Itthipol Khammongkol succumbed to the attack while the injured soldiers – Corporal Santi Tapaopong; Colonel Pornthep Klampasut, Lt-Colonel Thawee Na Chatree; Master Sergeant First Class Chusak Kwan-on and Corporal Kittichai Uttapan were later transferred to Pattani Hospital.
In related news, a team led by National Police chief Pol General Adul Saengsingkaew visited the Southern Border Provinces Police operation centre in Yala’s Muang district yesterday to boost police morale as well as check progress into the interrogation of suspects in the bombing at Bangkok’s Ramkhamhaeng Soi 43/1. Adul said the investigation had made progress and two suspects were in custody with strong evidence for their prosecution.
