YALA -- Four members of a village defence team were wounded by bombs in Yaha district and a rubber tapper killed and a policeman wounded in attacks in Thanto district on Sunday, police said.
Pol Lt Kittisak Kaewmee, duty chief investigator at Yaha police station, said two bombs exploded about 8pm at Ban Pathu in tambon Yala, where a village defence team was patrolling along Soi Pracharam 3, off Rassadorn Samakkhi road.
The two home-made bombs were hidden under piles of garbage. They detonated almost simultaneously as the patrol was passing the spot.
Four defence volunters were injured -- Waenuseng Purong, 46, head of Ban Pathu village, Kariya Ake, 55, Mahamakri Yo, 41, and Apinan Chaiseng, 27. They were admitted to Yaha Hospital.
Earlier in Thanto district, a rubber tapper was shot dead at Ban Sakai in tambon Ban Rae about 4pm.
Saensuk Wongsawat was returning home on a motorcycle when ambushed by an estimated five gunmen hiding on the roadside. He died on the spot. Police found 10 spent M16 rifle cartridges at the scene.
While rescuers, escorted by police, were taking Saensuk's body from the scene to Thanto Hospital, a bomb planted on the roadside was detonated.
Pol Cpl Surachart Jaikla, who was riding escort on a motorcycle, was wounded in the explosion. He was admitted to Thanto Hospital and later transferred to Yala Hospital.