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| Southeast Asia |
| 9 Dead in Thailand Passenger Van Attack |
| 2007-03-14 |
| Suspected Muslim insurgents opened fire on nine Buddhists who were riding in a commuter van in Thailand's restive south Wednesday, killing all of them execution-style, police said. Suspected insurgents bombed the van as it slowed into a curve in the road, which they also had blocked with a large tree trunk, said police Lt. Kitti Mankhong, a duty officer in the Yaha district of Yala province, where the attack occurred. Armed with assault rifles, the attackers first shot at the driver and then opened the side door of the van and fired at each of the passengers, he said. The driver, who was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the face, was the only survivor from the morning attack. "Everyone was shot in the head at close range, execution style," Kitti said. The van was shuttling people from the Betong district of Yala province to Hat Yai, the south's major city, in the neighboring province of Songkhla. All of the passengers were identified as Buddhists and the driver was Muslim. Police and soldiers were searching for the attackers, he said. The attack came as authorities beefed up security for the Tuesday anniversary of the founding of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or National Revolution Front separatist group. Police had warned that insurgents might try to mark the anniversary with violence. A little more detail: Three men and six women, including two girls aged 14 and 15, were shot in the head after the insurgents forced the van off the road. The bus driver, a Muslim man, was seriously injured. After the attack, insurgents threw nails to slow down police. They also placed a suspicious box near the van, which exploded after police and soldiers arrived at the scene but was not planted close enough to wound anyone. Meanwhile, in Bannang Sata district, insurgents ambushed and shot a police officer, who was rushed to a hospital by villagers. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #3 War is the Question Lancers are the answer /well, we never do hiakoo anymore |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-03-14 18:35 |
| #2 Yes, like the bumper sticker says, "War is not the Answer." |
| Posted by: mhw 2007-03-14 16:26 |
| #1 Sorry. This should be the primary link. |
| Posted by: ryuge 2007-03-14 07:50 |