RANONG — Three girl students leaving Ranong Technical College were hurt by an exploding ping-pong bomb and shotgun pellets fired by six teenagers on three motorcycles late on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The attack occurred at about 5.20pm as the six young men passed by the front gate of the college on three motorcycles. They threw a ping-pong bomb and fired three shotgun rounds into the campus as a large number of students were leaving the college through the front gate.
Three girl students -- Daraporn Phetklad, Thanyarat Chuawichian and Manaschanok Kochasing, all 19 - were each hit in the legs. They were admitted to Ranong Hospital for emergency treatment.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers were from tambon Hat Som Paen in Muang district. They fled into Ranong town after the attack.
The same group of teenagers were believed responsible for five ping-pong bomb attacks on Ranong Technical College during the past four weeks.
Police on Tuesday night apprehended a 17-year-old boy for questioning at Ranong Hospital where he was receiving treatment for a wound to his hand believed to have been caused by the explosion of a ping-pong bomb.
Police were still looking for the attackers.