PATTANI - An army ranger and a ranger volunteer travelling in a truck were injured when a roadside bomb exploded on the Narathiwat-Pattani Road in Mayo district of Pattani on Tuesday afternoon.
The bomb was hidden in roadside grass and detonated about 1pm as the six-wheel truck carrying four soldiers of the 44th Ranger Regiment passed the spot, Pol Col Torlarp Lengsa, chief of Mayo police station, said.
The two wounded rangers were inside the truck. The driver accelerated away from the bomb scene, and sought help from a nearby Border Patrol Police Unit 444 outpost.
Those injured are Sgt Maj First Class Samruan Sakda and ranger volunteer Thatphong Iemsuwan. Both sustained shrapnel wounds to their bodies and legs.
Pol Maj Gen Santhat Chuephuttarn, chief of Pattani police, later led police and bomb disposal officers to inspect the scene. The explosion left a crater on the roadside and bomb debris scattered over the road. The area was cordoned off for safety and closer examination.
Police investigators said the truck had come from the ranger outpost in Sai Buri district and was on the way to Nakhon Si Thammarat. The bomb was estimated to have held about 10 kilogrammes of explosive.