BANGKOK, Thailand - In a show of force, suspected Islamic insurgents staged a twilight raid Thursday on a provincial capital in southern Thailand, setting off bombs and engaging in gun battles with security personnel. | So, just another average day in Thailandistan |
Details were sketchy because of the chaos caused by the attack, compounded by a blackout apparently caused by a bomb which was exploded at the provincial power station in Yala, capital of the province with the same name. An official at Yala hospital said it had admitted 14 people injured by the attacks, including three police officers.
A police official, who declined to identify himself because he was not given permission to speak by his superiors, said three other bombs exploded near a hotel, a restaurant and a 7-Eleven convenience store.
Army spokesman Col. Somkuan Saengpataraneth said the regional army commander has ordered soldiers into the area who successfully put the situation under control, but declined to give details of the incident.
Thailand has been facing an escalating insurgency in its Muslim-dominated southernmost provinces since January last year, which officials blame on Islamic separatists. Almost 900 lives have been lost in sectarian violence in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces. |