Attacks Continue as bomb blast Kills 3

A powerful bomb killed two people in the deep South yesterday as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva reached out to the survivors of the Tak Bai massacre following a controversial court ruling that cleared security officers involved in the incident.

During his weekly TV address one day before his official visit to Malaysia, Abhisit promised to extend government assistance to the families of the victims.

But he withheld comment on the May 29 decision that absolved security officials of charges of misconduct in the deaths of 85 unarmed Malay Muslim demonstrators five years ago.

On the day of the verdict, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the government would spend Bt63 billion from now until 2012 on development projects for 2,900 villages, starting with 696 villages this year.

Abhisit said the violence used by previous governments had aggravated the tension. He vowed to focus on development, saying the government's cash infusion would reach the region in August or September.

In what appeared to be a blunt response to the judgement, militants last week stepped attacks in the restive region, killing public school teachers and carrying out target killings of suspected government collaborators.

Yesterday's explosion was aimed at a police team investing an ambush against defence volunteers in Narathiwat's Yingor district. A shop owner and a defence volunteer officer were killed in the blast, while another died in hospital and 19 were wounded.

Insurgents wounded four paramilitary rangers in Narathiwat' Rusoh district who were patrolling in the province, while a villager was also hit, police said.

The four men were riding motorbikes on a back road of the district when they were ambushed by men with M16 assault rifles from the roadside.

On Saturday night in Narathiwat, the deputy director of an elementary school was shot dead as he returned home from praying at a mosque, police said.

Last Tuesday, men disguised as soldiers set up a fake roadblock and opened fire on a vehicle, slaying two teachers including one who was eight months pregnant.