An Army ranger was killed and three others seriously wounded yesterday by a roadside bomb in the Bannang Sata district of the southern province of Yala.
Ranger Songkhram Thammarongrak's leg was blown away by the blast that hit a 10man squad on foot patrol on Route 410 linking YalaBetong in Tambon Talingchan. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Police believe the bombing, was not followed by the customary gunfire attack, was carried out by local insurgents and were determining the type of explosive and detonation method.
The troops belong to Army Ranger Company 4709 stationed in Tambon Talingchan. This was the third attack in a week in the deep South, following two attacks two days in a row last week, which killed nine Army troops and wounded several civilians.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had said earlier that violence had intensified in the deep South partly because intelligence agencies had not worked effectively together.
Their intelligence reports should have been consolidated into a summary better. That could improve preventive measures and probably lead to more arrests of militants, he said.
In Pattani, an Islamic seminar held to discuss Muslim solidarity for selfdevelopment and the promotion of religious tolerance drew more than 5,000 participants from the three southernmost provinces and four Yawispeaking districts in Songkhla.
The event entitled "The National Fortress", hosted by Prince of Songkla University's Islamic Study College, mainly discussed the extensive roles of Muslim women in society and culture.
Women, as wives and mothers, who are respected by male family members because of their devout religious behaviour, were crucial in keeping men from being distracted by insurgent movements, the attendees were told.