Southern Thailand unrest continues as year nears end

Southern unrest continues as year nears end
Bangkok Post, December 30, 2011

Three separate attacks in the southern border provinces of Yala and Pattani on Friday morning caused one death and three injuries - with a military patrol having a lucky escape.

A defence volunteer was shot in front of his house in Raman district of Yala province early Friday morning and later died, police said.

About 12.15am Kasaman Sadeemae, 23, a village defence volunteer of Ban Kuemeng in Raman, was waiting for his colleague to pick him up to go on duty when a gunman riding pillion on a motorcycle fired at him with an M16 assault rifle. The assailants then fled.

Kasaman was seriously injured and taken to Raman hospital by his relatives. The victim was later forwarded to Yala hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Also in Yala, a bomb was detonated too early on a road in Raman district, slightly injuring one soldier.

Police said the remote controlled bomb was triggered just before two motorcycles and a six-wheel truck carrying a team of eight soldiers passed over it.

One soldier's right finger was slightly injured by the blast, which also left a one-metre-wide, 80-centimetre-deep hole in the road.

Bomb squad officers later found a metal box believed to have contained five kilogrammes of explosive.

In Pattani's Yarang district this morning, two soldiers providing security for teachers were seriously injured by a roadside explosion in front of Thai Rath Witthaya 52 school.

Four soldiers of Pattani No 21special force were patrolling on Pattani-Yala road in front of the school in Ban Ton Phai of tambon Moh Wawee when a five kilogramme home-made bomb placed near a roadside tree exploded.

Staff Sgt Kittisak Sakulthai, 33, and Staff Sgt Somsak Boonkaew, also 33, were seriously wounded and taken to Pattani hospital.

Police blamed southern insurgents for all three attacks.

About 4,800 people have been killed and around 9,000 hurt in the three southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala since the separatist violence erupted afresh in January 2004.