AFTER OVER 30 arson attacks in the three southernmost provinces all night till dawn today (May 12), insurgents killed a ranger and injured three others in a bombing at 10 a.m., Naewna newspaper said.
The explosion took place at the roadside of Route 410 Yala-Betong, Bannang Sata subdistrict, Bannang Sata district, Yala province. The insurgents were hiding at a rubber plantation behind Ban Tao Poon School and just when the ranger patrol walked past the school, with there being a mound of sand for construction nearby, they set off the bomb.
Sgt. Sommai Natsuebwong died at the scene of the bombing while ranger volunteers Natthaphon Upata, Komin Sathi and Porncharoen Yokpooldee were injured.
Police immediately closed this road as they waited for an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to come and inspect the bombing site.
Overnight till dawn an unknown group of insurgents set fire to more than 30 mobile phone antenna towers and land line poles across Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. Police are investigating these arson attacks.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Nantadej Yoonuan, commander of the Provincial Police Region 9, said during a visit to police operations centre in Mueang Yala that special precaution is required now that the general election, taking place Sunday May 14, is so close. He warned police teams to watch out as these insurgents could set off another bomb while they are inspecting the attack sites.
He added that there was a lot of disturbance last night across the three southernmost provinces with all types of telephone antennas and poles set ablaze. The attack sites are risky areas and the roads leading to them are equally so. Tools had to be used to clear these areas before the EOD teams could go in to inspect them.
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Top and Front Page: Mobile phone antenna towers ablaze in the three southernmost provinces.
Insert; A police team inspecting the bombing site. All photos: Naewna
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