Motorcycle bomb blast injures 10

SONGKHLA: Ten people, including an assistant district chief and three students, were injured by a motorcycle bomb blast yesterday, believed to be revenge for the killing of five suspected insurgents during a clash with security officers in Narathiwat on Sunday.

A home-made bomb strapped to a motorcycle parked by the roadside was thought to have targeted a pickup truck carrying Chetsadakorn Sichan, assistant chief of Saba Yoi district, and three security volunteers.

The truck was driving past the spot when the bomb was detonated on the Ban Not-Saba Yoi road in Saba Yoi district, according to police.

The explosion wounded Mr Chetsadakorn and the volunteers as well as the three students and three local residents who were bystanders.

Mr Chetsadakorn was wounded when the truck was thrown by the force of the explosion into a nearby ditch.

An unknown number of attackers who detonated the bomb then emerged from roadside bushes and opened fire on the injured officials, prompting the security volunteers to return fire. The attackers later fled.

Police suspected the attackers wanted to take revenge on the authorities after security forces gunned down five militant suspects on Khao Tawe, a mountain in Ai Sadia village in Narathiwat’s Cho Airong district on Sunday.

The suspects were believed to be members of a group which stole weapons from the 4th Development Battalion in Cho Airong district in 2004.

Among weapons seized after the clash on Sunday were M16 assault rifles stolen from the development battalion 16 years ago, said Col Watcharakon On-ngoen, deputy spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command.