Thai Army Chief: 100 Targets In South 'Need Daily Protection'

100 targets in South 'need daily protection'

The Nation

PATTANI: -- There are more than 100 "soft targets" prone to insurgent attacks in the deep South, and keeping all of them safe for one day is considered an incident-free day, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha said yesterday.

Speaking to troops during an inspection trip to the strife-torn region yesterday, Prayuth called on them to remain vigilant while on duty and urged greater unity among all relevant agencies operating in the region.

The visit came one day after a car bomb exploded in Pattani town, which as the provincial seat is under the jurisdiction of the governor and the police department, while the military is accountable for surrounding and remote areas.

All parties need to support one another in carrying out security tasks, Prayuth said.

"We have put into place all measures including surveillance, interception and searches, but the other side can still launch an attack," he said, indicating that more attention must be given to locating possible sites of future attacks.

He called on the public not to jump to the conclusion that Army rangers were at fault in a shooting incident last month, in which five villagers were killed, before an investigation is complete.

Police are working on sketches of two men suspected of being behind Thursday's car-bombing in Pattani. One man was seen riding a motorcycle and picking up the driver who parked the bomb-laden vehicle near a public health office in Muang district. A security source said there was also a time-bomb hidden within the office that did not go off.

Senator Anusart Suwanna-mongkhol expressed worry over the mental health of residents and victims after the explosion, which also injured a three-year-old child. The bomb was meant to target an event in which civil-defence volunteers were to form an assembly near the public health office.

Regarding yesterday's National Security Council meeting, Prayuth said the agency laid down an overall outline for plans and security policies in the South. It also discussed labour problems in line with the government's policies.

The four-year plan is the result of a 2011 policy revision, the army chief said. The action plan will be fine-tuned in terms of strategy and tactics in accordance with the current situation.

-- The Nation 2012-02-11