Motorcycle bombs injure 13 in Narathiwat
TWO motorcycle bombs were detonated minutes apart in the downtown area of Narathiwat town yesterday, causingo one death and injuring 12 people.
Following reports of the two bombs at around noon, police and bomb squad personnel went to the scene near a shop selling lottery tickets in Tambon Bang Nak to find the wrecked motorcycle that had carried the bomb, which had a fake licence plate attached.
Five police and eight civilians were injured in the attacks.
The injured police were: Pol Lieutenant Ritthichai Noisu-krong, Pol Snr Sgt-Major Chamnan Klanphetch, Pol Corporal Paisal Da-oh, Pol Corporal Narongdech Rodmak, and Pol Lance Corporal Charadol Nooduk. The other victims were Masainee Yago, Polawat Sama, Wandonlit Awaesani, Sirawan Jiambutr, Abdulnam Ma, Noi Tansiri, and defence volunteer Aming Yago. The other victim, Rusalan Da-oh, succumbed to injuries
In addition to the injured people, four nearby houses and two pick-up trucks were damaged. The second explosion minutes later occurred near the entrance of Muang Narathiwat Police Station, again wounding people and damaging an ATM and a motorcycle.
In related news, a 100-strong security team launched a search in Tambon Beurae of Pattani’s Sai Buri district after a shooting attack wounded two soldiers on Sunday. The two soldiers were in stable condition yesterday.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said government negotiators could still engage in peace talks with insurgent groups despite the absence of Lt General Nakrob Boonbuathong.
Nakrob was recently removed from his position as deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command Unit 5 and dismissed from the negotiation team.
“There are still many trusted people to work on this task including the team leader, General Aksara Kerdphol,” he said, adding that he did not have information about team’s reported visit to Malaysia tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in Yala’s Muang district, rubber wood merchant Humdi Tohluboh and his employee Yunu Taleh were shot dead yesterday morning but police said they believed the motive might have been a business conflict unrelated to the insurgency.