Police said insurgents removed nearly 250 nails and bolts from sleepers in two locations in Yala's Muang and Ramanb districts overnight, while two bombs were found underneath a stretch of track in Pattani's province.

Sriva Saengmanee, chairman of the State Railway of Thailand in the southern region, urged the public to work with the authorities in keeping a look out for any sabotage against the 250 kilometre stretch in the region.

Training services from the southern commercial centre of Hat Yai southward have been suspended since Monday after ten acts of sabotage on the track caused a train to derail, injuring 20 people.

In Pattani, security forces discovered and defused two bombs planted under the track.

Separately, arsonists burnt down an elementary school in Tambon Wang Praya in Yala's Raman district Wednesday, leaving about half of the 207 students without classrooms. About forty schools have been came under arsonist attacks over the past four months, matching the entire number of schools burnt down the entire year of 2006.

In Yaha's Tambon Bangosinae, two gunmen shot and killed a teenage boy, Kamaluding Salaemae, 15, while riding his motorbike in the back-road.

Similar incident took place in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district where two gunmen drove up on a motorbike behind Ameelin Ali, 21, who was shot dead he was returning home on his motorbike home.

In Bacho district, a gunman fatally wounded Pongsapat Ounjai, a travelling vendor from Prachiburi. Pongsat was shot a gunman using 11mm who fired three rounds at him, hitting him in his torso.

The Nation