Despite Martial Law and a coup, violence escalated in the Deep South
Convenience stores and public utilities were the targets in the latest bomb attacks in Pattani province on Saturday night May 24 . Three innocent people were killed and more than 60 injured.
Of the 20 bombings, five of them were targeted against 7-Eleven convenience stores in Muang district, one against a gas station and another against a fish market. Several power poles went down after some of them were struck by bombs.
Suspected insurgents also fired three M79 grenades at the Pithep pier with one of the grenades hitting a Navy patrol boat causing injuries to a crewman. A brief gunfight was reported at Talubo power plant between suspected insurgents and troops guarding the plant.
In Nong Chik district, two telephone signal poles were torched and three bombings took place in Rueso district of Narathiwat.
All the three dead victims were killed at two 7-Eleven convenience stores, one on Charoenpradit road and the other in front of Pattani vocational college. The victims were identified as Mrs Somporn Lahaesaksit, Mr Abhisit Moongmaithanarak and five-year old boy Muhamad Irafan Seedae.
One day earlier on May 23 after the coup in Bangkok, a cloth banner was hung in Village 1, Tambon Don Rak of Pattani’s Nong Chik district with a message in Malayu language which read "My Patani".
About two hours after the discovery of the banner, a roadside bomb was detonated in Tambon Barae Tai, Bacho district of Narathiwat wounding two soldiers.
It was reported that an army trooper, a member of a unit tasked with providing protection to teachers in Srisakhon district of Narathiwat, who was seriously injured in a roadside bomb explosion on May 19 died at the district hospital on May 22.
It appeared that after the declaration of the Martial Law across the country on May 21 followed by a military takeover two days afterward, violence in the Deep South escalated.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caption : Motorcycle bomb exploded in Pattani.