A 15-kilogram home-made bomb went off at about 2.30pm in Ban Pali as the officers were travelling in two pickups to a nearby school.

The explosion directly hit the first truck, carrying eight officers, and killed five instantly. Officers in the second vehicle got out and opened fire into the jungle to clear the scene but none of the bombers appeared in the area, according to Colonel Banlue Chuwet, Rusoh district police chief, who was in the second car.

The officers who died were Athip Kantaphong, Niran Hanond, Suthep Plappling, Leemad Mad-alam and Thanit Srinakon.

Another bomb exploded yesterday in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district. It was targeted at defence volunteers guarding teachers. Nobody was hurt.

On Wednesday, two soldiers died in an explosion in Yala's Bannang Sata district while they were on patrol to provide security to teachers in the area. The explosion went off during an ambush on the patrol. The military yesterday launched a manhunt for the bombers.

The government is struggling to contain a spate of violence that has raged in the predominantly Muslim region since the beginning of 2004. More than 1,200 people have died.

The now-defunct National Reconciliation Commission predicted recently that the situation in the deep South would get worse, bombs would be more frequently used and more ordinary people would be targeted.

Security officials were deployed to protect teachers after a brutal hostage-taking of two teachers in Narathiwat's Rangae district last month. One teacher, Juling Pangamoon, was beaten into a coma and her condition has not yet improved.

Ninth Police Region commander Adul Saensingkeow said police believed that more than 40 people were involved in the crime. They have issued 29 arrest warrants and 15 suspects have already been apprehended.

The Nation

NARATHIWAT