Police officer slightly injured in blast near Pattani school
A police officer sustained a minor injury in an explosion near a school in Pattani province on Wednesday night.
At 8.30pm, Panare station police were alerted to the explosion at a junction in front of Ban Kha To school in Panare district.
A police officer who was patrolling the area, Sergeant Anucha Yamasa, reportedly sustained a minor injury on his leg from the blast and was taken to Panare hospital.
Officials are gathering evidence to track down the group responsible for the attack.
Separately, police at Rueso Station in Narathiwat province on Wednesday evening were called to investigate an explosion at a security checkpoint at Ban Rueso Market.
A preliminary investigation found an exploded pipe bomb. There were no reports of any deaths or injuries.
At around 6.25pm, while officers were canvassing the scene, an unknown number of insurgents threw a pipe bomb at the team, prompting them to return fire and sending the insurgents fleeing. There were no reports of any injuries.
A security officer believed the series of attacks are an attempt to discredit the government during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Bangkok this week.
Earlier on Tuesday night, four insurgents carried out two bomb attacks at two petrol stations in Pattani, prompting Army Area 4 to launch a manhunt.
The almost simultaneous attacks occurred at about 8pm at a PTT station on Highway 42 near the Pattani bus terminal in Tambon Bana, Muang district, and a PT station on the same highway in Tambon Piya Murang in Yaring district. The blast at the PT station slightly injured a worker.
