Violence in south kills three and injures one

The roadside bomb appeared to be a trap aimed at a unit of police officer in Yala's Krong Pinang district. One officer was seriously wounded from the explosion as he was removing a banner that blamed the rangers for the violence incidents, including the killing of villagers because they were unable to capture the insurgents.

In Narathiwat's Rangae district, a group of soldiers also came under a roadside bomb attack. Two suffered minor injuries.

 In Yala's Raman district, rubber taper Kadir Yusoh, 47, was shot dead while riding his motorbike near his village, while a 28yearold villager, also a Muslim, whose name was not made avialable, was killed by gunfire in nearby Narathiwat province.

The shootings came a day after a group of men opened fire on a 58yearold Islamic teacher and his five students in Pattani province. The teacher died, while two boys aged nine and 11 were injured.

In the same district on Sunday, a woman was killed and a soldier and a local mayor were injured when gunmen opened fire on a teashop.

The ongoing violence came in the backdrop of an ongoing doortodoor shakedown operation by security forces in Yala's district of Banang Sta and Narathiwat's Sunai Padi. At least 200 villagers have been detained without charges under emergency Law for further questioning.

"At least 40 of these individuals are believed to be the leadership position," said Colonel Acra Thiproch, spokesman for the army.

Colonel Peeraphon Wiriyakul, commander of the Task Force 3 in Narathiwat said the shakedown has forced many insurgents to leave the area.

Prince of Songkhla University in Pattani's Associated Professor Srisompob Jitpirom said the "aggressive" campaign was part of the military's effort to restore their tarnish image but warned that negative consequences could follow as local Muslim villagers still distrust the authorities.

Local residents consistently accused the authorities of carrying out target killings and abuse of power.

More than 2,300 people have been killed and thousands more wounded in separatist violence that erupted in the south in January 2004 and unrest has been escalating despite reconciliatory message from the government.

The Nation