NARATHIWAT: Two bombs targeting soldiers and defence volunteers went off in Sungai Padi and Chanae districts on Thursday, but caused no injuries.
In Sungai Padi district, a home-made bomb went off, just 5m before a military truck arrived in Sungai Padi district. Six soldiers on board were unhurt.
The bomb, planted under a roadside electric pole in an area between tambon Paluru and Ban Maisung village, exploded at around 11.10am on Thursday, said Pol Capt Santhiti Thongchan, deputy investigation chief at Sungai Padi police station.
Police, soldiers and bomb disposal officers rushed to the scene and found many pieces of explosives were scattered over the area. The bomb, in a cooking gas cylinder and believed to weigh about 20kg, was detonated by radio.
The bomb went off shortly before the six-wheel military truck loaded with royally donated items for distribution in Sungai Padi district was arriving. Six soldiers on board were unhurt.
Earlier in the same district, two patrolling poice officers were attacked by four men riding on two motorcycles on Wednesday night, but emerged from the fusillade of bullets unscathed.
In Chanae district, a home-made bomb was thrown into an outpost of defence volunteers near a local market on Thursday afternoon, forcing people to flee in panic. No casualties were reported.
The bomb, stuffed in a PVC pipe weighing about 700g, was thrown by the pillion ridder on a motorcycle. The bomb landed at the kitchen of the outpost, damaging roof tiles. It aimed to attack defence volunteers providing security in the area, but failed to injure them.
Authorities blamed southern insurgents for the attacks.
