A police officers pointing to media personnel the site of the bomb attack in Pattani. -- Photo: The Nation Thailand/ANN
PATTANI (The Nation Thailand/ANN): A Malaysian tourist and nine Thai policemen and defence volunteers were injured when insurgents detonated a homemade bomb hidden in a motorcycle parked next to a police station in Pattani’s Muang district on Monday morning.
Police reported that the explosion occurred at 8.20am on Soi TK Park, off Pattani Pirom Road, beside the Muang Pattani police station.
According to the authorities, the bomb was apparently concealed inside a motorcycle that insurgents had parked on the soi. It was reportedly detonated using a timing device.
The injured Malaysian tourist was identified as Erfan Ezzamie Erwannizam. He experienced chest pain, likely caused by the blast's impact, but sustained no visible wounds.
Most of the ten individuals sustained minor injuries, such as chest pain or ringing in the ears. However, three defence volunteers suffered shrapnel wounds. They were identified as Bunferng Malming, Panuwat Mairaksa, and Jehto Mana.
A bomb disposal team was dispatched to the scene following the explosion. Police cordoned off the area and jammed mobile phone signals, fearing that insurgents might have planted a second bomb to ambush officers.
A security agency source stated that authorities must exercise increased caution when inspecting explosion sites, as insurgents in the deep South have advanced in their methods of making homemade bombs.
Previously, insurgents primarily used walkie-talkie signals, timing devices, or mobile phones to detonate bombs. However, the source noted that modern devices now incorporate all three detonation systems. - The Nation Thailand/ANN
