Narathiwat bombings leave 12 injured

Published on November 21, 2005 - Two-yr-old among victims; pregnant delivery girl shot in Sungai Padi district

Twelve people including a two-year-old boy were injured in two blasts in Narathiwat’s Muang municipality yesterday while another three people were critically injured in separate shootings in the restive southern province.

The first bomb exploded in the back of a mom-and-pop store in the centre of Narathiwat’s weekend market at around 6.30am. The second went off 10 minutes later at a restaurant just 10 metres away while police were investigating the first explosion.

The 12 injured also included three police officers and a 58-year-old Malaysian tourist. Two people were critically wounded and sent to Sungai Kolok hospital.

Police found metal pieces and parts of homemade bombs among the blast debris, which was strewn over a 25-metre radius, and are investigating how the bombs were detonated.

A witness said he saw two male teenagers carrying two heavy-looking black plastic bags on a motorcycle. They placed one bag near a white plastic basket at the back of the shop and another in front of the restaurant before speeding away.

The bombs went off just a few minutes later, he said.

Officials suspect Muslim militants to be behind the attacks.

In Sungai Padi district, Dutchmill employee Somsri Paegrum, 39, was shot with a shotgun by two gunmen while delivering milk in a village. Somsri, who is five months pregnant, was seriously wounded and has been admitted to Sungai Kolok hospital as well.

In Joh-I-Rong district, Abdul-asi Chelae, 54, was shot at by two gunmen on his way back from a teashop early in the morning.

Abdul-asi, a janitor at Bukitpracha-upatham School whose house was set on fire on November 15, was shot in both wrists as he was riding his motorcycle. He hid in a roadside house after being shot while the gunmen fled.

Later in the day, cattle herder Chuan Sae-jia, 70, was hit by three rounds from two gunmen while riding his motorcycle to Rangae district.

Chuan was seriously wounded and admitted to a local hospital. The gunmen did not touch his personal belongings, which included Bt10,000 in cash.

Officials attributed the attacks to Muslim militants and were investigating if the two men behind the two attacks were of the same group.

Separately, the Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command (SBPPC) and Fourth Army Region Commander Lt-General Kwanchart Klaharn paraded 16 suspects said to have confessed to involvement in the attack on Pattani’s Promprasith Temple last month in which an elderly monk and two temple boys were killed, and temple buildings torched.

Kwanchart said the 16 suspects, all teenagers, confessed to having been persuaded to commit the crime by militants without receiving any financial reward.

Kwanchart added that the interrogation of the 16 was fruitful and officials now had information on the leaders of the operation and their financial sources. He did not give details of this information.

Police yesterday arrested Mahamasawalee Malee, 25, who is believed to be a leader of the insurgency in the South and to have been involved in several shootings in the area of Tak Bai district, including the killing of Nui Kaewsam-ang, a 60-year-old merchant, on October 20.

The Nation
Narathiwat