Bombing damages Narathiwat new police station building

NARATHIWAT, Sept 15 – A bomb explosion and and resultant fire heavily damaged a newly-bullt police station in Narathiwat’s Bacho district but no casualties were reported, according to the authorities.

The two-storey Paluka Samo police station was targeted late Wednesday, before it's official opening Oct 1.

A preliminary investigation found that the explosive device was placed near a wall in a corner of a detention room entrance.

The powerful explosion blew a hole in the wall. Aluminium doors and windows downstairs as well as the electrical system were damaged.

The blast caused cracks in some walls and other parts of the structure.

An engineering inspection will take place to approve the readiness of the building and determine repairs to be made.

The initial investigation found that at least five men smashed glass windows before forcing their entry into the unoccupied building around 7pm last night.

The intruders placed a 20 kg homemade bomb at the corner of the detention room entrance and triggered the explosive device.

After the bombing, the group of suspected insurgents set the facility afire but the fire failed to spread.

Police presumed that the incident was carried out by an insurgent-related group, aiming to create a disturbance to threaten government authorities. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-09-15

Newly built police station bombed in Thai south

NARATHIWAT, September 15, 2011 (AFP) - An empty, brand-new police station was bombed and set alight in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, just two weeks before it was due to open, police said Thursday.

Explosives planted in a cooking-gas tank were detonated on the ground floor and a fire was lit, damaging walls and stairs, but police said they had not yet moved any furniture into the station, which was due to open on October 1.

No one was believed to have been hurt in the attack, according to local police in Narathiwat, one of three provinces in the restive Muslim-majority deep south where a seven-year rebellion has claimed thousands of lives.

"An attack on an unmanned station has never happened before," said police colonel Apirak Sangkhao.

Police will now have to check whether the structure is safe before they can move into the building.

Around 4,800 people have been killed in near-daily attacks since shadowy rebels launched an uprising in early 2004, according to the latest figures from Deep South Watch, an independent research group that monitors the conflict.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-09-15