PATTANI: A young woman looking for a missing cat found a bomb fixed beneath her aunty's car in the garage of their house in Mayo district on Saturday night.
The discovery was not reported to Mayo police until mid-morning Sunday by the vehicle's owner, Enaz Haji Taye. The "improvised bomb", contained in a gas cylinder, was later safely disposed of by explosive ordnance experts, police said.
Ms Enaz told police thaton Saturday she drove her Bangkok-registered Mitsubishi Pajero from her house at Moo 3 village in tambon Thanon, Mayo district to Muang district, Pattani province. She was accompanied by two other women.
In Muang district, she stopped at a house to pick up another woman friend, without turning off the engine.
About 11am they stopped to eat at a shabu restaurant on the Yarang-Yala road to Yala town. About 1.30pm they left there and went to Muang Mai market, arriving about 2pm. Two stayed in the car while the other two went to buy things. The car engine was left running.
They returned home along the Yala-Mayo road, stopping to refuel at a PTT station at Khao Tum. Three of them went into a prayer room fhere for about 20 minutes, and one stayed in the car. The engine was left running, she said.
From the petrol station, they headed for home in Mayo district and arrived there at 3.30pm. The SUV was then parked in the house carport.
About 8.30pm, a niece of Ms Enaz went outside the house with a flashlight to look for a missing cat. While searching underneath the car she saw a gas cylinder tied underneath it, with a wire sticking out.
Ms Enaz reported the discovery and details of her shopping trip to Mayo police about 10.30am on Sunday. Police soon arrived at the house and quickly moved the family and their neighbours to safety.
Police said it was an "improvised bomb" and was later safely disposed of.
The police investigation was continuing into how the bomb had been attached to the vehicle and the motive for such an attack.
The improvised bomb in a gas cylinder, attached beneath the SUV. (Photo supplied/ Abdullah Benjakat)