January 1, 2004

Eight hurt as cellphone triggers bomb

 POST REPORTERS

 Eight people, including policemen, a soldier and civilians, were injured

when a mobile phone-controlled bomb exploded in Krong Pinang district of

Yala on Thursday night. Violence continued yesterday with arson attacks

being carried out almost simultaneously at six locations in Raman district.

 In Thursday night's attack, local people alerted police to a

suspicious-looking box that had been left near Krong Pinang market on the

Yala-Betong road at around 10.15pm.

 As police were about to open fire on the box, another bomb that was planted

by an electric pole nearby exploded, wounding eight people.

 Police said the assailants triggered the bomb using a mobile phone as

nails, scrap metal and parts of a mobile phone were found at the scene.

 The injured officers were Pol Sub-Lt Charnchai Laohiransap, Pol Snr Sgt-Maj

Somjit Ram-in, Pol Sgt-Maj Pranate Srisai, Pol L/Cpl Pisut Chimkua, Pol

L/Cpl Khachornwit Laohiranwat, all from Krong Pinang police station, Pvt

Sabueree Kolae, defence volunteer Musor Jaesor and village head Mumammad

Loryapa.

 A group of assailants also mounted arson attacks in Raman district early

yesterday.

 The first took place about 20 minutes past midnight. A truck loaded with

rubber trees parked near a petrol station on Kotabaru-Raman road was set

ablaze. The truck, belonging to Nara Para Wood Co, was damaged in the fire,

which was later brought under control.

 Twenty minutes later, a public telephone booth in tambon Nern-ngarm in

Raman district was torched.

 Fifteen minutes later, Ban Kotortuera primary school in Raman district was

set on fire. Two wooden buildings were completely destroyed.

 At 1.05am, a garage in tambon Balor was set on fire. The blaze partly

damaged a car and the garage owned by Krachang Thamraksa, a local resident.

 At 1.20am, two public telephone booths in tambon Thathong were set alight

and another in tambon Kotortuera torched.