Violence continue unabated yesterday with an elementary school coming under arson attack and three separate shooting incidents.

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 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 evidence of sabotage on the 250 kilometres of track in the region.

Train services from the southern commercial centre of Hat Yai southward have been suspended since Monday after 10 acts of sabotage on the track caused one train to derail, injuring 20 people.

In Yala's Muang district in Ban Budi, a bomb left at a dirt pit exploded injuring three small children after they had picked it up.

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

Meanwhile, arsonists burned down an elementary school in Tambon Wang Praya in Yala's Raman district yesterday, leaving half of the 200 students without classrooms. About 40 schools have been victim to arson attacks over the past four months, matching the entire number of schools destroyed in 2006.

In Yaha's Tambon Bangosinae, two gunmen shot and killed a teenage boy, Kamaluding Salaemae, 15, as he was riding his motorbike.

A similar incident took place in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district in which two gunmen rode behind Ameelin Ali, 21, and shot him dead as he was returning home on his motorbike.

In Bacho district, a gunman fatally wounded Pongsapat Ounjai, a travelling vendor from Prachinburi. Pongsapat was shot three times in his torso with 11mm bullets.

The Nation

Narathiwat