February 13, 2005

Big manhunt after bomb blast

100 soldiers track heavily-armed suspects, who are on wanted list with

B500,000 reward

 By Post reporters

 A massive manhunt was under way yesterday for four men suspected of

carrying out a bomb attack in Narathiwat's Cho Airong district. One soldier

was injured in the blast.

 About 100 security forces sealed off roads and searched for the

heavily-armed men who were spotted about 1km away from the scene of the

blast.

 The men were reportedly picked up by an old red Hyundai car with Malaysian

licence plates.

 Based on descriptions of the suspects, they are believed to be Mahleh

Maehsa and Matorhe Bude. The two men are both on a wanted list with rewards

of 500,000 baht each for their capture.

 The bomb exploded in Ban Juwoh-Khok Sue Dae road in Ban Khok Sue Dae while

a five-man unit was patrolling the area in a Humvee.

 Pvt Charnnarong Sawangsri, 21, from the Chumphon-based Khetudomsak camp,

was injured in the blast. The Humvee was also badly damaged in the

explosion.

 At the scene of the blast, a large rubber tree, shards of metal, powder and

other bomb parts were scattered across the road.

 Despite an increase in violence in the South over the past week, Prime

Minister Thaksin Shinawatra insists that he will go ahead with his plan to

visit the restive region this week.

 The visit was postponed last week due to the Feb 6 election. Thai Rak Thai

only managed to win a single seat in the South, in Phangnga province.

 Mr Thaksin said he would hold talks with the Southern Border Provinces

Peace-building Command tomorrow before heading for the South later this

week.

 Mr Thaksin said politicians were definitely involved in the violence in the

South, but declined to further elaborate.

 The prime minister dismissed speculation that the attacks were meant to

undermine his planned visit.

 ``I'll be there and any other restive place, including Narathiwat. I'm not

afraid,'' Mr Thaksin said.

 In Yala, a policeman was shot and killed yesterday morning by a gunman on a

motorcycle. The gunman was also believed to have been responsible for

wounding three highway workers shortly after.

 Pol Cpl Khanong Chukaew, based at Jakwa police station, was found dead with

two gunshot wounds in his back.

 The shooting took place around 9.50am when the police officer was on

Raman-Kotabaru road. The attackers reportedly approached the officer from

behind on a motorcycle. The pillion passenger then shot the police officer

twice.

 Ten minutes later, three workers were shot and wounded while painting a

road island on Raman-Kotabaru road in Kotabaru Municipality area.

 Pongsak Banwilai, Panthatet Vichiankarn and Vichote Wannapruet were

slightly wounded and sent to Yala Regional Hospital.

 Police suspected the attack was carried out by the same gunman who shot and

killed Pol Cpl Khanong.

 On Friday evening, a bombing in Yala killed one policeman and injured 24

others while security forces in Narathiwat faced two separate attacks.

 The bomb exploded at a butcher's near a video rental store in Muang

district about five minutes after police arrived to investigate the deadly

shooting of the store's owner.

 Pol Sgt Sompong Tamprik was killed in the blast. Nine motorcycles parked

outside the store were also badly damaged in the blast.

 On the same evening in Narathiwat, two M-79 grenades were fired at Cho

Airong police station. The first grenade reached the investigation room, but

failed to go off. The second hit the roof and bounced off into the station's

football field where around 50 police were playing football. Fortunately, no

one was injured by the blast.

 The grenades were believed to have been launched from a rubber plantation

to the rear of the police station.

 As police were investigating the incident in Cho Airong, a soldier on

patrol in a village in Tak Bai district was wounded in an explosion.

 Pvt Nattapol Deecharoen, 21, was patrolling along Bang Khun Thong-Sala Mai

road with three other officers when the remote-controlled bomb, planted by

the side of the road, went off.

 Parts of a mobile phone, nails and fertiliser were found at the scene of

the blast. The three officers on patrol accompanying Pvt Nattapol on patrol

were not hurt in the blast.