Three soldiers and two civilians were wounded when a bomb exploded in Narathiwat's tambon Rueso municipality yesterday, police said.
Pol Lt Wanchai Rakboonmuang, the duty officer at Rueso police station, said the home-made bomb, contained in a gas cylinder weighing about 20kg, was planted next to the concrete wall of a house owned by Yenchit Janpiya, the mother of a former mayor of tambon Rueso municipality, near a three-way junction at Ban Yaba.
The bomb was detonated as a truck and a pickup with 18 soldiers from Narathiwat Task Force 30 were passing the spot on patrol. The device was set off about 9.20am.
Three soldiers _ Chief WO Saichol Thatachai, Sgt Anuwat Channarong and Cpl Sathaporn Korngam _ and two civilians were wounded in the explosion, which left a big hole in the wall and damaged the house.
The Narathiwat Task Force 30 pickup and another pickup truck with civilians on board, travelling in the same direction, were damaged.
Meanwhile, earlier yesterday morning, a village chief was shot and killed on a road in Yaring district in Pattani.
Nimu Niloh, 63, was followed by attackers on a pickup truck.
He was driving his motorcycle when the attackers fired at him. He died at the scene.
About 10.30pm on Saturday, a man was shot dead and his two friends were injured in an ambush in Rueso district of Narathiwat.
Abdulloh Muso, 18, ran out of gas for his motorcycle as he was driving on a local road.
He called his friend, Korsem Sa-a, 26, to pick him up.
Mr Korsem drove his motorcycle to collect Abdulloh and asked a friend, Sakoree Aming, 16, to come with him.
As the three were heading home, an attacker shot at them from a roadside rubber farm.
Abdulloh was killed on the spot while Mr Korsem and Mr Sakoree were wounded. They were rushed to a local hospital.