Rail maintenance halted due to attack

Thanong Pongprasert, director of the Railway Authority of Thailand for the southern region said two officials were injured from the gunfire in Narathiwat's Rangae district about one kilometre away from a local station.

"We have to halt our maintenance activities. This has greatly disturbed the rail officials," Thanong said.

He said security for the 27 stations in the deep South have been beefed up in line with the government's policy.

Meanwhile, in Yala's Tambon Boh Seng, a bomb squad defused an explosive that was wrapped in a plastic bag and left in the vicinity of an outdoor market in the area.

Authorities said the bomb, four kilogramme in weight, was meant to be set off remotely but the plan was disrupted when local residents informed the authorities of the finding.

Speaking to reporters in Bangkok, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Teurksuban said the public would get a clear picture about responsibility and mandate of the proposed administrative body for the deep South after the Cabinet meeting next Tuesday.

The government has hinted that the new administrative body will give supremacy to the civilian when it comes to the deep South but did not elaborate over the question as to what this mean in real terms for the army and the Internal Security Operation Command, or Isoc.