January 21, 2005

Bomb defused at tea shop

 MUHAMMAD AYUB PATHAN & WASSANA NANUAM

    Police defused a home-made bomb found at a local tea shop in Pattani

province early yesterday, shortly after a Molotov cocktail was hurled at the

shop but caused no injuries.

 Police found a suspicious-looking box under a table inside Kolek tea shop

on Yarang road in Muang district about 30 minutes past midnight yesterday.

 A bomb demolition squad was called in to destroy the box, which contained a

home-made bomb wired to a mobile phone, a SIM card and an electric wire. The

explosive, weighing about 2kg, was believed targeted at police and soldiers

who were regular customers of the shop.

 Shortly before the bomb was found, police were alerted by shop-owner Danai

Khanchitanurak, 52, that a Molotov cocktail had been hurled at his shop

about 11pm on Wednesday. The petrol bomb caused minimal damage.

 Pol Capt Ratthapong Udomsri, of Muang district police station, believed

assailants hurled the Molotov cocktail to lure police to the tea shop, where

they would trigger the bomb by remote control. Only a few officers showed

up, however.

 "We also believe the assailants expected to trigger the bomb in the

morning, when up to 10-20 police and soldiers usually have tea and coffee at

the shop. Unluckily for them, we've found the bomb," Pol Capt Ratthapong

said.

 Mr Danai, the shop-owner, said he feared for his own safety.

 In Yala, a public telephone booth was set on fire early yesterday in Krong

Pinang district.

 Police said the arsonists placed a bag soaked with petrol in the phone

booth in tambon Sa-ae and set fire to it at 2.30am.

 Also yesterday, two teenagers alerted police they were attacked by

assailants behind an Islamic school in Raman district.

 Tayudin Sa-ong, 17, and Masabri Hawa, 17, natives of Raman district, told

police two assailants on a motorcycle fired shots at them while they were

chatting behind the religious school at Papu-ngor village. Mr Tayudin

suffered a wrist injury while Mr Masabri had some bruises to his knees.

 Police were not convinced by their story as no spent bullet shells were

found in the area.