SOUTH CRISIS
Two more injured in further small blasts in Yala town
Anapat Deechuay,
Nakarin Chinworakomon,
Santhiti Khorjitmate
The Nation

YALA: -- Defence minister believes attacks staged to cause confusion, not serious damage

BOMB attacks continued to erupt in Yala's Muang district yesterday, raising the number of injured people over the past two days to 20.

Despite that, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan believes the blasts were staged to cause a disturbance and not serious casualties or damage.

"Most of them involved just small bombs," he said.

The attacks started in Muang district at 7pm on Thursday and involved at least 20 separate blasts. Eighteen people were wounded.

Yesterday, there were five more explosions, with two people wounded. Prawit said recordings from closed-circuit cameras at multiple locations showed the bombers quite clearly.

"The Internal Security Operations Command [isoc] and the National Police Office are working on these cases. We expect to make arrests," he said.

While most of the bombs were not powerful, the one at a Chinese cemetery uprooted three electricity poles.

A bomb disposal team found three more bombs at the spot and defused them.

Colonel Pramote Prom-in, spokesman of the Isoc Region 4's Forward Command, said most of the bomb victims sustained minor injuries. "Only three remain in hospital," he said.

In the wake of the attacks, the Fourth Army Area has ordered all local officials to step up security measures and set up more checkpoints.

"We won't impose curfews. But we are asking for co-operation from locals in giving tips-off," Pramote said.

The chief of the Fourth Army Region General Prakarn Chonlayut said the bombers might have decided to take advantage of security officials needing to focus much attention on the venue where the ongoing Thai Red Cross fair was being staged in Yala.

National police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung said it was unclear if the attacks were related to the recent car bomb at Central Festival mall on Surat Thani's Koh Samui.

Yala is one of the southernmost provinces, which has been struggling with unrest for about a decade.

In nearby Narathiwat, unknown gunmen ambushed rangers yesterday on a local road using M16 assault rifles.

The ambush resulted in a gunfight, which lasted about 10 minutes. After the attackers retreated, four rangers were left wounded. One was shot in the head. "We provide security to teachers," said team leader Sgt-Major Ekapoj Sowanna, who sustained minor injuries.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Two-more-injured-in-further-small-blasts-in-Yala-t-30260227.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-16

There 2 very bad areas of thailand, 1 the deap south with their bombs, 2. pataya with all the drugs and corruption.

Good to know preparations for the peace talks are progressing. Prayut has everything in control. There will be peace with the insurgents by the end of 2015 as he has promised. When has Prayut ever exagerated or lied?

There 2 very bad areas of thailand, 1 the deap south with their bombs, 2. pataya with all the drugs and corruption.

What on earth has Pattaya to do with this story ?!?!