14 Die in Southern Carnage - Yala Province, Thailand
Nine people were killed and more than 100 others wounded in three bomb attacks in Yala’s downtown area, while an explosion that caused a fire at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel and shopping mall in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district killed five and left more than 350 injured.
Authorities confirmed that the bombs in Yala were made by insurgents but could not confirm if the incident in Hat Yai was linked to terrorism.
But Hat Yai mayor Prai Pattano, who had earlier ruled out a terror attack, changed his mind after inspecting the scene, saying he believed it was terrorism.
Chaos struck shortly before 12pm in the business area of Yala’s Muang district when two bombs went off on Sai Ruam Mit Road. The explosives, weighing 60-70kg, were stored in two 15kg gas cylinders and put in an Isuzu pickup truck. Recovered from the blast site were parts of damaged gas cylinders and electronic circuits and power cables.
As authorities rushed to the scene, another bomb exploded in front of a convenience store about 20m away. The bomb was planted in a Toyota pickup truck.
GRIM TASK: Forensic officers inspect the wreckage of a car damaged in an explosion near Mae Lan police station in Pattani’s Mae Lan district. PHOTO: ABDULLOH BENJAKAT
Shophouses, parked cars and motorcycles near the blast sites were set on fire. The two pickup trucks used in the attacks and the suspects were captured on surveillance cameras. The Isuzu truck was suspected to have been used in the recent attack on a security checkpoint in tambon Kalor of Raman district.