Army chief visits Pattani; intelligence warns of possible car bombs

Army Commander in Chief Prayuth Chanocha on Wednesday travelled to Pattani to to follow up operations against the insurgency in the area while intelligence information warns of possible car bombs in the deep southern border provinces.

Intelligence warns security and other state agencies in Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces to be on alert for possible car bombings as a group of insurgents reportedly have built explosives into two vehiclesan Isuzu pickup truck and a Proton sedan.

The warning came in the light of latest bomb attack which wounded eight soldiers at an army outpost in a temple compound in Yala yesterday. Insurgents' activities were believed to be intensified after marine killed 16 insurgents who raided their unit last Wednesday.

Speaking before leaving Bangkok with prime minister’s adviser Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa, Gen Prayuth said soldiers were caught off guard which resulted in eight soldiers being wounded. A grenade was thrown at the group of soldiers as they played football.

Two attackers on a motorcycle, one dressed like a Muslim woman in hijab traditional dress, stopped outside the temple and then threw the grenade over the temple wall. The incident was recorded by a surveillance camera.

The army chief said the soldiers were careless and easily became the target of an attack. He said he repeatedly told the soldiers to remain vigilant. The army chief said he would again urge them to be more alert for selfdefence and safety.