Car bomb kills 1, injures 23 in south Thailand

[News_Editor]

Car bomb kills 1, injures 23 in south Thailand

2011-04-18 20:36:31 GMT+7 (ICT)

YALA, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- A car bomb explosion in southern Thailand killed an army ranger and injured at least 23 people on Monday morning, officials said.

Yala police chief Major General Chote Chavalwiwat told the Bangkok Post that the blast came from a home-made bomb containing 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of explosives hidden in a vehicle parked in front of a drug store in the business area of Yala, Thailand, which is located in the country's southern most tip near the Malaysian border.

The bomb was detonated when eight military rangers on a pickup truck passed the vehicle on Siroros Road in Yala's Muang district. The explosion killed Staff Sergeant Abhisit Yuangprang of Pattani’s Ranger Unit 47 at the scene and injured 23 others, including other rangers and civilians near the area.

The death could rise as Yala Hospital doctors said the injured rangers were in serious and critical conditions. The injured civilians, however, were reported to have suffered only minor injuries.

In February, two car bombs struck the same business area, and local police believe the same separatist group responsible for previous blasts carried out Monday's attack.

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