Four killed by bomb in Thailand South

At a village checkpoint, a bomb blast in Thailand’s deep south killed four people and wounded four others, on Friday, police said, to strike the insurgency-plagued region in the latest deadly attack.

Late Thursday evening, the bomb exploded in Khok Pho district of Pattani, which is one of three Muslim dominated provinces where militants are fighting for greater autonomy. Tanongsak Wansupha, Police Colonel, commander of Pattani police, added the bomb was planted by militants, though, with most attacks in the region, so far there was no claim of responsibility.

Four killed by bomb in Thailand South

“The culprits placed a bomb under a chair at the checkpoint killing four people,” said Tanongsak. “This attack was to disrupt stir unrest.” Since 2004, more than 6,500 people have been killed in the sporadic violence in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, all provinces bordering Malaysia.

A Buddhist-majority country, Thailand, however, the south is Muslim-dominated and resistance to Buddhist rule has existed for decades. Into nearby Songkhla province, it has occasionally spilled, which is thronged by tourists from neighbouring Malaysia. Until the area was annexed, the provinces were once part of a Malay Muslim sultanate by Thailand in 1902.

Thailand’s ruling junta shortly after taking power in a 2004 coup vowed to bring peace to the south within a year. With some rebel leaders, it has made contact but talks aimed at brokering peace between Thai government facilitated by Malaysia and insurgent groups the have largely stalled due to internal discord within rebel ranks and the Thai military, as well as scepticism on both sides.