Spate of bombings in deep South marks end of Ramadan
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As the holy month of Ramadan ended Monday, violence in the deep South continued unabated. In the latest incident, a bomb attack near the Pattani Central Mosque on Sunday night killed a traffic policeman and wounded two other officers and one civilian.
National police chief General Chakthip Chaijinda, who flew to Pattani Monday, said the culprits – identified as insurgents based in Nong Chik and Yarang districts – had fled to a neighbouring country’s border area. Jakthip said he would propose a collaborative investigation with Malaysian law enforcement when he visited the country next week.
Pol Sgt-Major Anurak Rakbutr was killed while he was directing traffic at the mosque when the bomb went off in front of a nearby commercial building at about 7pm on Sunday.
The three wounded individuals were Pol Lance Corporal Wichakorn Setthakul, Pol Lance Corporal Surasak Parnsung and civilian bystander Ya Morlor.
Colonel Pramote Promin, spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command, Monday condemned the attack and offered condolences to Anurak’s family.
He added that attacks during the last 10 days of Ramadan stemmed from a twisted belief that attacks during the holy period would confer religious benefits in the afterlife. He said the Fourth Army Region chief had instructed agencies to work hard on such cases and improve security measures, especially in economic zones and at-risk communities.
In a case in Yala province, police suspected an insurgent – believed to be a militant from the Amad Leubaesa-led group – may have lured Mahamayuding Puteh and Assuwan Yusoh into a fatal ambush at 1am on Sunday, said Yala police chief Police Maj-General Itthipol Atchariyapradit Monday.
The two men had fought militants in the area with Pol General Sompien Eksomya, a former Bannang Sata district police chief who was killed in an attack in 2010.
