Five Policemen Injured In Bombing Incident In Southern Thailand

BANGKOK, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Five policemen were injured in a bomb blast incident in Yala, southern Thailand on Friday. Yala province’s police chief, Major General Tinnakorn Rangmat, said the incident happened when the police team, who were riding in two separate vehicles, were conducting their patrols in Pekan Raman. In the incident that occured at about 8.45pm (local time), he said a homemade bomb weighing 15 to 20 kilogrammes was believed to have been installed in a roadside gas tank and detonated using a walkie-talkie. "The explosion injured five policemen who were on duty. They were rushed to the hospital for further treatment, "he said. The five policemen were reported to be in stable condition. Meanwhile, a village headman’s assistant was fatally shot in in Pattani, last night. In the incident that took place at about 10pm (local time) yesterday, the 45-year-old man was found dead in front of his house in Kg Thale, Mai Kaen district. Mai Kaen’s police chief Col. Pol. Thalap Lengha said initial investigation found that four male suspects on two motorcycles arrived in front of the victim's house and fired shots at the victim before fleeing. The motive for the incident is still being investigated, he said. -- BERNAMA