limbo Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 INSURGENTS ON THE RAMPAGE Blasts, arson rock South At least two killed, 29 injured as attacks centre on bars, petrol stations; most of Pattani province plunged into darkness A string of coordinated bombings and arson attacks hit more than 30 targets, including a power plant, in the southernmost provinces last night, causing a widespread blackout and killing at least three people, security officials said. At least two people were killed and 29 injured in the Betong and Muang districts of Yala in a series of raids that also targeted karaoke bars and petrol stations. Yala was the worst affected province in the latest violence, said army spokesman Col Akara Thiproj, as 24 bomb blasts spread chaos and confusion around the province. Other bombings and arson attacks took place in Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla provin-ces, police said. In Pattani a bomb struck a power plant in the Muang district at about 7pm leaving most of the province in darkness. The police and military were attacked in other districts but the police reported no casualties. In Narathiwat, six bomb attacks hit various targets, including a karaoke bar in Sungai Kolok district at 8.45pm. One man was killed and about 20 injured in the incidents. Arson attacks were also reported at schools and a mosque in the province's Sungai Padi and Rusoh districts, officials said. In Songkhla, a number of arson attacks took place in Jana, Na Tawee and Saba Yoi districts. Details about property damage and casualties were unknown, police said. Among the targets hit by last night's Yala blasts were the My Way and Wang Mai karaoke bars, two petrol stations and the Coliseum department store. Earlier yesterday, two bombs were discovered in toilets at a busy department store in Yala's Betong district. They were defused. Cleaners at the Betong Plaza department store on Sukayang Road found the packages that each contained three kilograms of explosives. A bomb team from the Betong border patrol took 10 minutes to defuse the bombs. The explosives were placed in tin boxes and would have been detonated using a digital wristwatch. Investigators believe the thwarted attacks were the work of insurgents and were carried out in response to the earlier arrests of four suspects in connection with a string of bombings at banks on August 31 last year. Army Commander-in-Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said last night security officials had received intelligence reports more attacks were imminent in the four southernmost provinces but could not immediately pinpoint the targets. Sonthi said he has ordered additional troop deployment for the areas hit by the bomb attacks and their vicinity but still saw no need to declare a curfew or a state of emergency. The Nation 19/02/07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limbo Posted February 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Another bomb hits Yala hotel Yala - A hotel here was hit by a bomb attack at midnight, police said. No one was injured or killed in the blast at Yala Shangri Hotel, police said. The Nation 19/02/07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limbo Posted February 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Army major killed in another Yala bomb attack Yala - An army major was killed in a bomb attack at his own house in the heart of this southern border province Monday morning, police said. Maj Prasarn Nakthung was killed at the scene and the blast also injured another child. The Nation 19/02/07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Call me hyper but I wonder if the timing has anything to do with the surge in Baghdad and the new Taliban offensive in Afghanistan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Toad Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 I think not as I am told the Thai Muslims want to keep this local and do not want outside help. But I must wonder why this has not yet got to Bangkok? If they are that organised they clearly could attack Bangkok, or anywhere else for that matter! The British Embassy have sent out an email update........am not sure why. Maybe they know something I do not! Although to be fair they seem to send out an update after all major security events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 I think the moslems want the buddhist out of their 'land'. That is why it stays local. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Kaddafi used provide financial support to PULO in the 1980s. But the Thais convinced him it was not a matter of religious discrimination, but rather one of an ethnic conflict. Also, reports have said that "insurgents" have been heard speaking Indonesian rather than the local Yawi Malay dialect. Thus there has been outside help, though not a great deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bkkbound04 Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 I think not as I am told the Thai Muslims want to keep this local and do not want outside help. But I must wonder why this has not yet got to Bangkok? If they are that organised they clearly could attack Bangkok, or anywhere else for that matter!The British Embassy have sent out an email update........am not sure why. Maybe they know something I do not! Although to be fair they seem to send out an update after all major security events. The New Year bombings in BKK were clearly linked to the southern unrest. Its a matter of time before they are repeated. JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 I think not as I am told the Thai Muslims want to keep this local and do not want outside help. But I must wonder why this has not yet got to Bangkok? If they are that organised they clearly could attack Bangkok, or anywhere else for that matter!The British Embassy have sent out an email update........am not sure why. Maybe they know something I do not! Although to be fair they seem to send out an update after all major security events. Gee, haven't we seen this someplace else; multiple bombs set go off disrupting a major holiday. Where was that? Oh, yeah, it was those nasty "old powers" setting of bombs in Bangkok on NYE. TH TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limbo Posted February 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Death toll hits nine in Thai separatist attacks YALA - The death toll in coordinated separatist attacks that have rocked Thailand's Muslim south has risen to nine after a 32-year-old man succumbed to his injuries, officials said Monday. Three people were killed in shootings and six others in bombings during 12 hours of violence across the region along Thailand's southern border with Malaysia, provincial officials told AFP. The latest victim was a 32-year-old Thai Muslim, who died in hospital on Monday of injuries suffered in one of the blasts, police said. Another 44 people were injured in the spree of shootings, bombings and arson attacks that began late Sunday and continued early Monday with a fresh bomb blast, the officials said. At least 24 people remained in hospital, they added. Agence France-Presse The Nation 19/02/07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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