Insurgents attack Narathiwat Hall, district chief's house

Insurgents fired an M79 grenade at the Narathiwat Provincial Hall Friday, in what are seen as a stepped-up attacks ahead of election day.

Police said an unknown number of insurgents fired the grenade with a M79 launcher at the Narathiwat Hall in the Government Complex in Muang district at about 11.20am.

The grenade missed the hall and landed on the ground in front of the national flag pole. No one was hurt and the explosion did not cause any damage to the building, police said.

At almost the same time, two insurgents attacked the Bacho district chief's house inside the district office compound with a home-made bomb, police said.

The explosion blew a big hole outside the fence of the district office and damaged two sedan cars and two motorcycles parked at the scene.

The attack was about 15 metres away from the district chief's house.

Police checked the feed of the security camera at the spot and saw two men in traditional sarongs arriving on a motorcycle.

The pillion rider lit the bomb made with a PVC pipe and threw it at the district chief's house. But the bomb hit the leaves of a coconut palm and fell outside the fence, police said.