NARATHIWAT: A defence volunteer and a woman civilian received minor injuries when a buried bomb targeting special warfare soldiers on two armoured vehicles exploded on a road in Cho Airong district on Thursday morning.
The explosion occurred about 8.54am on the Cho Airong-Ban Yaning Road in tambon Chuap, Pol Lt Prawit Maiprasong, a deputy investigation chief at Cho Airong police station, said.
The two armoured vehicles were taking eight soldiers of the 4th Special Warefare Unit from their base at Wat Cho Airong Thammararam to Ban Ba-ngo Dudung School, where they were to counsel students against involvement with illicit drugs.
The bomb was concealed in a drainage pipe under the road and exploded between the two vehicles as they passed over it.
No soldiers were injured. However, a defence volunteer, named as Ekmahama Dueraning, and a woman selling petrol at a roadside stall, Noreeya Maduere, were slightly hurt by shrapnel, he said.
The blast left a crater about 80cm deep and 120cm wide and bomb debris scattered over the road.
Explosive ordnance disposal police said the explosive was stuffed in a 25kg cooking gas cylinder and was detonated by a radio signal.
Police blamed southern insurgents.
Police and soldiers at the cordoned-off scene of the bomb blast in Narathiwat. (Photo by Waedao Harai)