Bomb hits border patrol, 1 killed

A border-patrol police officer was killed and two others seriously wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Tambon Sa Kor, Narathiwat's Si Sakhon district, on Tuesday, police said yesterday.

The three officers were in an armoured truck on a teacher- protection mission along with Si Sakhon police, when the home-made bomb in two cooking gas cylinders, buried in the middle of the road, went off. Pol Snr Sgt-Major Prasit Phankhamkerd, 44, was killed while Pol Sub-Lieutenant Supakorn Polthasri, 57, and Pol Snr Sgt-Major Winai Ratchasimuang, 44, were seriously injured.

They were reported in a stable condition at Narathiwat Rachanakarin Hospital.

Si Sakhon superintendent Pol Colonel Kowit Rattanachote said intelligence had reported for a week that an insurgent group led by "Bang Sof Tohleunoh" planned to carry out a bomb attack on officials.