FIVE KILLED IN SOUTHERN THAI UNREST

BANGKOK, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- Five people, including a teacher, were killed and 12 others injured when a bomb planted inside a small gas cyclinder exploded in the southern province of Narathiwat Friday.

A police spokesman said the incident occured about 11am during a commotion
at a sundry shop in Dusong Nyor, Chanae district.

"Several policemen came to the shop after receiving a report that a man had
assaulted the shop owner. During that time, someone triggered the bomb, using a
mobile phone," he said when contacted.

A village head and his assistant were killed on the spot while the teacher,
a passer-by and the shop owner's sister died at the hospital. Ten policemen and
two civilians, including a nine-year-old boy, were also injured.

He said the attack could be in retaliation over the arrest of a number of
suspects, including a former science tchnology undergraduate in Pattani, to
facilitate police investigations into the Nov 4 bomb attack in the nearby
Sukhirin district which left 72 people injured, mostly village heads attending a
meeting.

More than 3,300 people were killed since January 2004 when suspected
separatists resumed their campaign to seek independence for the three
Muslim-majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.
-- BERNAMA