5-kg bomb defused on Yala road

5-kg bomb defused on Yala road

A potentially powerful home-made bomb and two bottles of benzene, believed to be part of a plot to create unrest, were found by a roadside in Yala province yesterday morning.

Police bomb experts rushed to Tuebor intersection in tambon Sateng Nok in Muang district about 6.30am after being alerted about a suspicious-looking plastic box hidden in a rubbish bin.

The box, containing a home-made bomb weighing over 5kg, was deactivated. The two bottles of benzene, each containing one litre of the petrochemical, were also found in the bin.

Police believed insurgents planned to set fire to houses in the area with the benzene and let off the bomb. The items were found by a team of military rangers on patrol.

Earlier this week Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva sat down to discuss measures to combat the southern insurgency.

Deputy Prime Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapa said yesterday cooperation from all sides was needed to solve the southern violence.

The government accepted for consideration a nine-point proposal by the opposition to contain the unrest, he said.

It also explained its plan to set up a southern command centre to supervise the situation in the region.

The Internal Security Operations Command and the Southern Border Province Administration Centre both back the centre, although the opposition is opposed to it. Mr Abhisit said the centre was likely to hinder public participation in the effort to forge peace, and obstruct coordination.

Gen Yutthasak said an increase in the number of police officers in the deep South was also discussed. The region was in dire need of about 4,000-5,000 extra police.

National police chief-designate Adul Saengsingkaew would train additional officers to be sent to the region in six months, Gen Yutthasak said.

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