Bomb blast in Na Thawi kills one, injures six South insurgency

The Nation
June 29, 2013 1:00 am

A bomb went off in Songkhla

Attack a surprise as district believed to be stronghold of Muslim insurgents

A bomb exploded yesterday in Songkhla's Na Thawi district, killing one policeman and wounding six others, three of whom are in serious condition. 

This is the first time in six years that this area, which is a fair distance from the three southernmost provinces, has been attacked. 

The 5-kilogram homemade bomb, containing steel shrapnel, was planted at a tea shop near a Toyota outlet and detonated by a mobile phone, members of a military ordnance team said. 

Though Na Thawi district, one of the four Yawi-speaking districts in the province, is regarded to be home to active insurgents, terror attacks rarely take place here. This attack was more unexpected because the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is getting closer, and a break in violence was one of the conditions agreed upon during the peace dialogue. 

Since this tea shop is frequented by security and civilian officials, district chief Phongthep Jirasukprasert said the bomb was possibly intended to harm them. Retired policeman Jamras Thongket was killed at the scene, while the others are undergoing treatment in hospital. 

The last attack in Na Thawi district took place in August 2007 at a busy marketplace where a policeman was killed and nine civilians hurt. Insurgent attacks in Na Thawi district are few and far between when compared to the districts of Chana, Thepha and Saba Yoi.

Military intelligence sources blamed yesterday's attack on insurgents opposed to the peace dialogue as insurgent commander, Usoh Leemoh, led 15 operatives under his command to surrender to authorities under a pardon scheme on Thursday. 

Na Thawi district is also used as a platform for the pardon scheme. The court decided to drop trials against two insurgents who underwent this scheme and were later pardoned of all their crimes. 

In Narathiwat, security officials led raids on two villages in Rusoh district and arrested six insurgents after a gunfight. One paramilitary ranger was wounded in the 15-minute combat. 

The raids were intended to apprehend two insurgent commanders - Abdulrohing Da-i-soh and Masupeeyan Yakumor - and the men under their command. The suspects ambushed the officials as they approached the villages and tried to fight them off with automatic weapons. 

Source http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bomb-blast-in-Na-Thawi-kills-one-injures-six-30209338.html