More killings ahead of Abdullah's visit
Violence continued unabated in the restive South yesterday with a 56-year-old truck-driver shot dead at close range by suspected insurgents on motorcycles while four soldiers in a patrol vehicle were injured the night before by a roadside bomb in Narathiwat's Bacho district.
Ying Isaro, 56, was shot dead by one of four men on two motorcycles who were tailing him just after he left his home in Tambon Bothong in Pattani's Nong Chik district. His body was found riddled with bullets. The incident followed another gruesome killing on Friday when suspected militants shot dead Asmin Jehsoh, 20, just as he left the local mosque following afternoon prayers. The incident took place in Tambon Bo-ngo in Narathiwat's Ra-ngae district. Asmin was hit by several rounds to the body and a head shot at close range as a gunman waited for him on the roadside. Police found a 150-metre long detonating wire that had set off the explosive the night before. Separately, in Tak Bai district, a roadside bomb aimed at a passing military vehicle went off but hit a passing pickup truck instead. Wang Khungkhoon, 56, said he had been returning from a cock fight in a nearby village when the explosive went off and hit the side of his truck. He suffered no injuries. Meanwhile, Kuheng Sali, 45, the village chief of Kuanlamae in Pattani's Khok Po district, said he was recovering after a second attack by suspected insurgents. Kuheng, who was described as a model village chief by the government, said he was not afraid and would not step down from his position. The authorities have upped his security detail from five to 10 men since the second attempt on his life. In Hat Yai, meanwhile, operators of 125 community radio stations launched a campaign that could see them presenting "more constructive news and reports aimed at promoting reconciliation" in the South. Theeraphat Serirangsan, minister at the Prime Minister's Office, defended the move, saying such cooperation was needed to counter the propaganda of the militants. Colonel Akara Thiparoj, head of the public-affairs section at the Civilian Police Military Unit under the Internal Security Operation Command, said the campaign was vital in the fight against the insurgents. The latest attacks came a day ahead of Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's two-day visit to the country.
The Nation Pattani
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