Three traffic police officers were injured in an explosion at a road checkpoint in front of a school in Sai Buri district of Pattani province today.
Police report that insurgents had placed an improvised explosive device (IED) near a car battery, which was being used to power lights at the road block. When the three officers arrived at the scene, the IED was detonated remotely by someone believed to have been hiding close by.
The three injured officers were rushed to the district hospital and police reinforcements cordoned off the area as a bomb disposal squad looked for more devices.
Police say that the bomb attack might have been intended to mark the 20th anniversary of the armed insurgency in Thailand’s deep south, which has been ongoing since January 4th, 2004, when a large number of southern insurgents raided a military armoury in Cho Airong district of Narathiwat, stealing about 400 M16 rifles and killing four soldiers.
