One dead, 12 injured in bomb blast in southern Thailand

[News_Editor]

One dead, 12 injured in bomb blast in southern Thailand

2011-02-21 22:36:51 GMT+7 (ICT)

YALA, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- One woman on Monday was killed and at least 12 people were injured after a bomb blast in the southern Yala province in Thailand, the Bangkok Post reported.

The explosion took place in front of a supermarket near an old movie theater at about 4:35 p.m. local time. The explosive device was hidden in a motorcycle in Yala's Muang district.

After the fatal attack, police were rushed to the area and mobile phone networks were shut down in the area in order to prevent possible further attacks. Authorities said that the bomb was detonated using mobile phone signals.

The blast caused a police care and other vehicles parked nearby the supermarket to be set on fire. After firefighters controlled the flames, the wounded were transported to a local hospital.

An investigation was launched and police took the closed circuit cameras in order to examine and determine who detonated the bomb. No group has claimed responsibility for the terror attack.

Monday's blast took place approximately 100 meters away from the February 13 bomb blast that caused an estimated 10 million baht ($327,472) in damages. In addition, eighteen people were injured after a car bomb exploded In Yala's business center.

On Sunday, several businesses in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat, including about 60 karaoke bars, remained closed following Saturday night's shootings and car bomb. Two females employed at a karaoke bar were injured after a shooting took place, and about 30 minutes later, a car bomb exploded around 100 meters away from the initial scene, injuring at least 17 people at a restaurant.

Since 2004, around 4,000 people have been killed in Thailand's southern regions of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, as local insurgent groups renewed their fighting efforts against the government.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-02-21