Security tightened in Su-ngai Kolok as Thai Fight is to begin today

[Lite Beer]

Security tightened in Su-ngai Kolok as Thai Fight is to begin today

BANGKOK: -- Security is tightened in Su-ngai Kolok today as southern insurgents blew up electricity poles last night in what authorities believed was intended to black out this border town in attempt to disrupt the hosting of the "Thai Fight" boxing competition this evening.

The Thai boxing competition is scheduled to start at 5.30 – 8.00 pm today at this business town bordering Malaysia’s Kota Bharu capital of Kelantan state.

Su-ngai Kolok police said they were alerted of the bombings at 10.35 pm Friday night in two locations on the road from Tak Bai to Su-ngai Kolok.

A combined force of police, soldiers and defense volunteers rushed to inspect.

The first location is about 300 metres off Su-ngai Kolok transport office on Tak Bai to Su-ngai Kolok, and the second location is on the road from Su-ngai Kolok to Su-ngai Bodi.

On the first location, three power poles were knocked down. Several homemade bombs were also seen tied to several other posts, unexploded.

Authorities had to pull out of the area for reinspection in the morning as it was dark and they feared it was the trap of the insurgents to lure authorities into the area and detonate the bombs.

Reinspection later this morning by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) police found five more bombs tied to power poles in the first location. They were later destroyed after over two hours of clearing the area of all vehicles for safety.

The second location on the road from Su-ngai Golok to Su-ngai Bodi, nine power posts were knocked down by home made bombs.

EOD spent several hours to clear the area off hidden bombs that might still be planted to hurt security officials, and opened the road to traffic in the afternoon.

Electricity workers were also working with speed to restore power supply back in time of the boxing event.

Security officials said the bombings in two locations were aimed at disrupting the hosting of the “Thai Fight” boxing competition by Su-ngai Golok to celebrate its 100th year establishment anniversary.

The celebration was expected to draw thousands of Malaysian tourists from Gota Bharu to cross the border to visit and watch the Thai Fight.

The Thai Fight organiser expected the fight is expected to attract over 10,000 audience at the stadium.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/security-tightened-in-su-ngai-kolok-as-thai-fight-is-to-begin-today

-- Thai PBS 2015-08-22

[noitom]

Sounds like trouble pending in this Thai southern border town.

[Lite Beer]

Power poles targeted in Narathiwat blasts
The Sunday Nation

NARATHIWAT: -- SEVERAL small explosions have hit the southern border province of Narathiwat ahead of celebrations of its 100th anniversary.

The homemade bombs exploded late on Friday night, damaging 15 electricity poles and toppling four of them in Sungai Kolok district.

Some of the improvised explosive devices were attached to electricity poles along two separate roads - Sungai Kolok to Tak Bai and Sungai Kolok to Sungai Padi.

Local officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority urgently repaired the damaged power poles so that electricity supply could be resumed late in the evening yesterday.

Bomb disposal experts examining the scene had to detonate some unexploded bombs at a rubber plantation not far from where they were planted.

Police suspected that the well-coordinated attack was the work of separatist insurgents, according to Police Colonel Kongath Suwannakham, superintendent of the Sungai Kolok district's police station.

He said investigators were convinced the attack was carried out by the same group of perpetrators who were responsible for explosions at eight locations in Sungai Kolok in the night of July 10. That attack left three people dead and several others injured.

There were at least two separate incidents yesterday morning, according to Colonel Banphot Poonpien, of the Army's Internal Security Operations Command.

Local police sources say that the bombs targeted electricity poles to disrupt a Muay Thai boxing match, which had been arranged for the centennial celebrations. The boxing match was scheduled for yesterday in Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok district.

Officials don't see any link between the bombings and the blast in Bangkok on Monday, which killed 20 and injured more than 100.

Some police sources said that the attack might be linked to some senior members of the separatist Patani United Liberation Organisation who are living in Malaysia.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Power-poles-targeted-in-Narathiwat-blasts-30267218.html

-- The Nation 2015-08-23

[whatproblem]

They are targeting power lines because they know if they can knock one day another 50 will be pulled down with it

[soalbundy]

The perfect terrorist target, don't kill people just keep knocking out the electricity at indiscriminate places on a regular basis, difficult to protect and causes massive inconvenience, i'm surprised it hasn't been thought of before, i hope it doesn't catch on, the outages after a storm are bad enough.

[elgordo38]

They are targeting power lines because they know if they can knock one day another 50 will be pulled down with it

Yes I watched the domino effect on that accident in Bangkok that pulled down 47 of them.

[Srikcir]

"Police suspected that the well-coordinated attack was the work of separatist insurgents"

I thought only foreigners know how to make bombs. Perhaps the educational system in the South is better than in Bangkok.

[Alwyn]

A power Pole... (Mariusz Pudzianowski)

[Travelman868]

The perfect terrorist target, don't kill people just keep knocking out the electricity at indiscriminate places on a regular basis, difficult to protect and causes massive inconvenience, i'm surprised it hasn't been thought of before, i hope it doesn't catch on, the outages after a storm are bad enough.

If the separatists knock out the electric poles leave them down for a week. If they do it again leave them down for a month.

[duckmandon]

Let them damage their infrastructure & don't repair it. They will stop sooner or later when they can't turn on the lights or the pump for water won't work. Not real smart these seperatists. Let them have their independant state but take away everything that has been put there by the Thai governement, schools, hospitals, dams, roads etc. They won't want then.