Pattani: Six members of a ranger patrol were injured yesterday when a roadside bomb exploded in Nong Chik district, local authorities said.
The patrol, a corporal and five volunteers, was travelling in a pickup truck along a road in tambon Bang Khao when the explosion occurred at 9.20 am, according to Pol Capt Ekkarat Jiacharoen, deputy investigation chief at Nong Chik police station.
The injured were named as Cpl Suradet Eedlek, Yutthana Somboon, Suchart Ongsuk, Choengchai Meechana, Kittichai Madsoh, and Somkid Hoknu.
All were taken to Nong Chik Hospital.
According to police, the ranger unit was in a vehicle travelling ahead of another unit to examine the torching of two security cameras outside Ban Saimor School in tambon Bang Khao.
Police yesterday denounced the roadside bomb blast as designed to intimidate.
"It was aimed at stirring up further unrest in the South without care for people's lives," deputy police spokesman Pol Col Kritsana Phatthanacharoen said.
"Police will not let the attackers walk free," he insisted, adding investigators were gathering evidence at the crime scene, including security camera footage. Some leads looked promising.
An initial investigation had not yet identified the perpetrators, but officers believed they are insurgents active in Pattani.
National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda expressed fresh concern after yesterday's bombing and called for tighter security to avoid further attacks, Pol Col Kritsana said.
Security forces manning checkpoints have been urged to be extra vigilant when checking cars on roads.
More frequent patrols were needed, especially in business areas, he said.
Pol Col Kritsana also called on the public to report suspicious activities.
He said the national police chief had stressed that investigators should be able to arrest wrongdoers as quickly as possible to build public trust in government security measures.
People have been living in fear with thousands having been killed since the insurgency erupted in the Muslim-dominated region in 2004.
Meanwhile, security authorities said they discovered weapons and ammunition in Narathiwat's Si Sakhon district which could be linked to a Dec 26 ambush in the same area.
The ambush wounded four soldiers travelling in a pickup truck and a female rubber tapper, who was passing by.
According to Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, two M16 rifles, 19 rounds of ammunition, a 15kg cooking gas cylinder, and many sharp objects were found.
They were buried in two locations about 200 metres apart in rubber plantations in Ban Wanwon, in tambon Sakor in the district. Inquiries are continuing.