- Published: 28/09/2012 at 12:00 AM
The bomb exploded by a bridge near the entrance to Rom Klao School in tambon Yi-ngo at 7.40 am.
The blast wounded Sitinureya Baga and Nadia Jehama, two female Rom Klao School students, who were sitting near the door of the bus.
Sitinureya suffered a broken arm and remains under close observation by doctors, while Nadia sustained shrapnel wounds and is in stable condition.
Police found the remains of an improvised bomb stuffed in a 10kg metal box at the scene. Investigators believe it was detonated by mobile phone.
Pol Col Suthon Sukwiset, superintendent of Yi-ngo police station, said the perpetrators probably targeted soldiers on a pickup truck escorting the bus, but the bomb went off as the bus passed. Rom Klao School sent shaken students and teachers home and cancelled classes indefinitely.
The headmaster, Sakun Thongeard, was wounded and his assistant Warun Thongeard was killed in a shooting late last year outside the school's entrance.
Athasit Ratanaklaew, director of Narathiwat Primary Educational Service Area Office 1, who visited the two injured girls at the hospital, also thought the bombers had not targeted the students.
He said the students would receive financial support for their education.
He also suggested school buses should travel in front of their escorts to lessen the risk of a repeat of the incident.
Meanwhile, in Yala's Raman district, a bomb exploded in a rubber plantation, but there were no reports of casualties.
Two unexploded bombs were also recovered at the scene.
Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa yesterday urged military units which the army plans to deploy in the deep South for the first time in early October to take extra precautions.
"New personnel take time to adapt to the area and its people, which makes them vulnerable. They should therefore be careful," Gen Yutthasak said.
Meanwhile, the Internal Security Operations Command's fourth region, the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, security units, civil society groups and several rebel defectors yesterday attended a meeting in Pattani to discuss the formation of a new committee to solve the southern unrest.
The committee will be a platform for state agencies, local people, and defectors to work together to bring peace to the restive region.
Once up and running, the committee may take a lead role in holding talks with potential rebel defectors, Gen Yutthasak said.
In Pattani municipality, vendors at the city's fresh market say the market will be closed today because of rumours of a possible attack there.
The rumours began after last Friday's car bombing in Sai Buri district which killed six people and injured scores of others.
Share your thoughts
- Discussion 1 : 28/09/2012 at 10:19 AM
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Kuhnbj, you got it right.The terrorists have the citizens right where they want them. Killing innocents has become the normal for life in the south. In most cases, where ever you are, you can not rely on government to solve problems like this. It is up to other muslims and the citizens being harmed by these mindless acts to fix it. I know the government is afraid of war with the other country who supports these terrorists.
You are right. The public should rise up. Apparently it is the only way. I doubt that it will happen.
- Discussion 2 : 28/09/2012 at 08:45 AM
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I totally agree with Disc. 2 - Khunbj and Disc. 1 - brilliant. Not much more to say....truly disappointing.
- Discussion 3 : 28/09/2012 at 08:40 AM
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If the Thais are too arrogant to ask for help, they should at least ask Israel to host a high level delegation of Thai authorities and give them some guidance and advice.
- Discussion 4 : 28/09/2012 at 08:35 AM
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"He also suggested school buses should travel in front of their escorts..." Then what is the point of the escort?
- Discussion 5 : 28/09/2012 at 07:55 AM
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I know , lets send in the blimp , or maybe the aircraft carrier , better still , lets buy a submarine . What IS the Thai word for prioritise ?
Clearly someone has prioritsed , and clearly their priorities lie elsewhere .
- Discussion 6 : 28/09/2012 at 07:17 AM
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1 and 4, "the Thai government has zero success at stopping this violence".
the UN has an identical record.
khunbj, I totally agree, if this were to happen up here in rural Chiang Mai, they would not last long before the locals would counter attack on their own, lots of "hunting rifles" up here.
- Discussion 7 : 28/09/2012 at 07:16 AM
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1 and 4, "the Thai government has zero success at stopping this violence".
the UN has an identical record.
khunbj, I totally agree, if this were to happen up here in rural Chiang Mai, they would not last long before the locals would counter attack on their own, lots of "hunting rifles" up here.
- Discussion 8 : 28/09/2012 at 07:08 AM
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I said a few month ago that the goverment need help to solve the problem ..but of course they need to get serious about solving the 10 years problem in the south...they prefer to go see the kids and say ..we will pay for your study .....how come the goverment do nothing ??? because they dont care at all...like most people in Thailand..sometime i wonder ?? is it the same country in the south ???...the goverment pass most of their energy trying to bring the man from Dubai and helping redshirt ....
- Discussion 9 : 28/09/2012 at 06:28 AM
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I agree with Brlliant. Need to send in UN forces. Maybe Thailand should also send in those special forces they keep showing on Discovery Channel.
- Discussion 10 : 28/09/2012 at 05:40 AM
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These bombings are happening so increasingly frequently that the news papers should start numbering them so the readers don’t get one confused with the other. Setting up a command center in Bangkok and holding endless meetings is ludicrous without any results. Nothing of any major consequence or effect has been done through actions or inaction by the various Thai governments or the military to deter the bombers, shooters and killers of innocent Thai teachers, civilians and medical personnel. These bombers aren’t even the self-sacrificing type that ‘checkout’ at point of detonation, not yet. The military claims to have a list and know who they are yet no arrests have been made. With no capture, no accountability, and nobody found responsible it’s as if the bad guys in the south have the same “untouchable” status and luck as the corrupt Thai politicians. In both cases the people are the ones being hurt with no end in sight and people don’t even bat an eyelash when a new incident occurs. Truly sad.
- Discussion 11 : 28/09/2012 at 05:38 AM
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The most amazing thing is that there is no local public outcry against these atrocities , in most other communities the locals would gang up and handle the culprits, don't believe if none of the locals have knowledge of who did this, this apparent apathy will not help.
- Discussion 12 : 28/09/2012 at 04:33 AM
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At this point, I hope the U.N. starts to do something because it's obvious the Thai government has zero success at stopping this violence. It's time for innocent citizen's to stop dying.
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