NARATHIWAT: Security officers were likely the intended target of two grenades fired at a fair in central Bacho district on Saturday evening, authorities say.
The attack injured 23 people, including two girls and a policeman. The grenades were believed to have been fired from a road behind Bacho police station, about 300m away.
Forensic scientists, bomb disposal officers and Bacho police searched the scene for evidence yesterday.
Forensic officials said two M79 grenades were aimed at a security booth near the entrance to the district office but apparently missed their target.
Four people were seriously injured by shrapnel: two girls, Nassarin Bueraheng and Asma Duloh, whose ages were not given; Somchai Pakseeseh; and Maseedoh Lohpaka. Doctors say they are recovering in a local hospital. Nineteen others who suffered injuries have been treated and released.
Also in Narathiwat, a backhoe belonging to a private company was set on fire in Rueso district yesterday.
The machine belonged to Nara Para Company. Ma Mamu, 50, the company manager and owner of the backhoe, told police he and workers had been clearing the land to remove rubber trees.
After work yesterday, the backhoe was parked under a tree in Ponoh village. The machine was damaged beyond repair, Mr Mamu said.
Police were investigating whether the attack was the result of a business conflict or an act of sabotage by insurgents.
Meanwhile, in Yala yesterday, one person was killed and two others wounded in separate incidents in Yaha and Muang districts.
In the first incident, the body of a man, identified as Maruseng Mading, 18, of tambon Lam Mai in Yaha district, was found on Yaha-Ban Niang Road early on Sunday morning.
Maruseng was shot once in the body. A motorcycle was found lying by his side. He was believed to have been shot by drive-by assailants late on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, police said.
In Muang district, two women travelling on a motorcycle were attacked by two men with pistols who pursued them on a motorcycle along the Yala-Betong road in Ban Kubae Purong of tambon Bannang Sare.
Yaowamal Sukhanoen, 50, was shot in the back and her daughter Patchaya, 26, in the right thigh.
In Pattani, a man and his wife were shot and seriously wounded while returning home from tapping rubber in Kapho district yesterday morning.
Pol Col Montree Khongwatmai, the Kapho police chief, said the incident occurred about 8pm on a rural road in tambon Karubi.
Somchit Sawangmek, 42, and his wife Kongsri Namnong-o, 46, were returning to their village from a rubber plantation on a motorcycle, when another motorcycle carrying two men approached. The two men opened fire at them with handguns, wounding both of them seriously. The couple were admitted to Kapho Hospital.