A bombing at government office in Yala municipality in Thailand's southernmost province Wednesday morning left at least two soldiers wounded, and seven local residents, including shoppers and vendors at an open air fresh market near the gate, being sent to hospital.The Yala police department bomb squad and other security personnel rushed to the scene after an apparently home-made device exploded at the entrance gate of the Yala Highways Department in Kwangwichian Road. All the wounded and injured were sent to a local hospital for emergency treatment.
Responding authorities disconnected mobile telephone signals in the area for fear that the attackers would use the explosian as a bait tactic to draw police to the first bomb and detonate another, larger bomb, as has been done in varied previous bomb incidents. Pieces of a mobile phone and bomb fragments were scattered around the scene.
Witnesses said a male teenager was identified as the likely bombing suspect who placed the explosive device at the gate. Police believe that at least two people were involved, and the bomb was detonated by mobile phone. Footage from CCTV cameras in the area are being used to investigate and find clues regarding the attackers which were presumed to be insurgents.
The attack took place one day after Prime Minsiter Somchai Wongsawat paid his first visit to the southernmost provinces since taking office September. After the visit, Mr. Somchai affirmed the government's policy to tackle violence was on the right track. He said the government was paying close attention to the problems in the southern region as the local population there contiunued to suffer from the violence. He said urgent priorities in the troubled southern provinces were improving allowance for security officials, upgrading their equipment, improving education and shoring up the price of rubber, the south's key crop.