Gunmen spray restaurant in South as bombs go off near school trucks

Gunmen sprayed a packed restaurant in Yala with bullets and a school pick-up truck carrying teachers narrowly escaped a double explosion in Narathiwat yesterday, as unrest continued in the South.

No fatalities were reported.

Two men on motorcycle opened fire with an AK-47 at a restaurant on Yala-Ban Niang road owned by Yupa Boonsilp in Yala's Muang district.

Thawee Boonsilp, 25, was hit in the ribs and Mingkwan Thomthong, 30, in his left arm. They were rushed to hosptial and were reported to be safe.

Police said the assailants apparently focussed their attack on policemen dining at the restaurant, but missed their targets and the stray bullets injured other patrons.

In Narathiwat, three power-gel bombs were planted by the roadside, targetting two school pick-up trucks guarded by policemen in Chana district.

The first pick-up carried teachers and the second was full of students heading to a Chana market from Ban Nam Won.

The student vehicle was only about 15 metres past the first two bombs when they exploded.

The second vehicle, trailing about 30m behind, also passed safely when the third bomb, placed on the other side of the road, failed to detonate.

Police said the bombs, each weighing about 5kg, were set off by remote control. The explosion created a hole in the ground about 60cm across and 30cm deep.

Bomb disposal experts believed the bombs were intended to kill the soldiers

Pol Lt-Col Pol Vitthayanont, of the bomb examination unit in Narathiwat, said the bombs had gone off late which saved the lives of teachers and students.

Fourth Army commander Lt-Gen Pisarn Wattanawongkhiri said insurgent attacks had become more random recently, switching their ``inhuman and barbaric'' activities from soldiers and policemen to defenceless elderly people and children.

The army would apply martial law in imposing stricter control of explosives at quarries in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.

It was believed the insurgents acquired some of their explosives from the quarries.

On Tuesday, the army ordered Charoenthip Karn Yotha Co, a quarrying company in Yala, to shut down. Charoenthip is reportedly owned by Abdul Lateh Yakkat, a former Yala municipality mayor and a member of the Democrat party.

Meanwhile, Provincial Police Bureau 9, the southern border provinces command, is recruiting volunteers to patrol local communities. A committee was set up to select candidates for the job which is offered to men aged 20-50 with a record of good conduct and good health.

Defence Minister Chettha Thanachro said the master peace plan for the South had been revised to tighten cooperation between security agencies.

He said southern unrest had shown signs of easing now that local people were joining the authorities in tracing those behind the violence.

The insurgents had handed out pamphlets threatening locals if they associate with the authorities and this incidated the group was being isolated, he said.