Nine soldiers and seven civilians, including three students, were wounded in a motorcycle bomb explosion in Yala province yesterday morning.The explosion occurred at about 10:50 a.m. on the Bannang Sata-Than To road near Ban Tao Poon school. Police said the 10 kg homemade bomb was hidden in a parked motorcycle. They believe the attackers detonated the bomb as soldiers from Yala's No.15 special forces unit were passing by on motorcycles. Several cars, including a military GMC truck near the explosion scene, were damaged by the impact.
Shortly after the incident, police detained a suspect identified as Wae-Useng Waesama, 25, from Bannang Sata district.
In Yaha district, a teacher protection unit escaped unharmed when a bomb was detonated. The soldiers were patrolling when the bomb planted on the Tachi-Yaha road exploded. No one was hurt.
In neighboring Pattani province, two teacher protection volunteers were killed and two others injured in an explosion yesterday afternoon.
The explosion took place while the four were taking a break in a hut while working in a coconut plantation. The bomb was planted near the break area.
In another development, police are investigating the murder of Pol Sen Sgt Maj Charoen Kaewmani, 64, a retired police officer, on Monday night. The police officer was waiting for his wife in front of a house when a group of attackers ambushed him and shot him at close range. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two more shooting attacks were also reported on Monday.
The first incident was reported at about 6 p.m. and the second about an hour later. In the first attack, Nibong Songserm, 34, was shot in the leg by a group using AK and M16 rifles. He was riding his motorcycle when he was attacked.
In the second incident, Phornthep Rattana, 34, a village defense volunteer, was seriously wounded in a drive-by shooting as she rode her motorcycle with another woman riding pillion.
Meanwhile, border police announced they were stepping up security measures in the southern provinces ahead of Ramadan, which starts on Aug 1.