2 rangers killed in Yala bomb attack

Four female bystanders were also wounded in the latest attack in the restive border region. 

The attack was suspected to have been carried out by leading insurgent Roki Doloh. A previous tip-off had revealed his plan to launch a bomb attack in the area.

The bombing took place on Lekhakul Road along Pattani River at 2.45pm. A team of rangers from the paramilitary ranger regiment 33rd was returning to base in a pickup truck after manning a checkpoint, when their truck passed the parked Honda motorcycle loaded with a 10kg home-made bomb, which exploded. 

The deceased rangers were identified as Thanongsak Leucha, 30, and Suchart Jantip, 35.

Meanwhile, the investigation into Friday’s motorcycle bomb at the entrance to a market in Narathiwat’s Muang district that injured six people found evidence suggesting it was carried out by insurgent sympathisers hiding in Tambon Bang Nak. Officials have been dispatched to follow their movements and bring them to justice. 

The probe into another car-bomb incident in the same district later in the day found that the owner of the Isuzu pickup truck, which was used in the attack and carried a fake licence plate, had filed a missing vehicle complaint with Pattani police on January 10. 

Police was also looking at security-camera footage for clues on the suspects but declined to give details. Police believe that the two bomb attacks were linked hence arresting a suspect in one case would lead to progress in the other case as well.