Three Satun students hurt by roadside bomb

SATUN - Three students travelling in a school van were injured when a bomb placed near a roadside power pole exploded on Wednesday morning.

Two bombs were found at the site in tambon Thung Wa, Thung Wa district, Satun, about 500 metres from the Thung Wa security checkpoint.

The first exploded at 6.13am, while the second, which caused the injuries, exploded at 6.20am, according to the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 (Isoc 4).

The van was carrying 11 students from Wichienmatu School in Trang province.

The driver, identified as Theeraphat Niankhong, 43, said he initially thought a tyre had burst when he heard the explosion, but later found shrapnel embedded across the vehicle.

Two girls, aged 13 and 17, and a 13-year-old boy suffered minor injuries to their legs, arms and faces.They were taken to Thung Wa Hospital for treatment and were reportedly in stable condition.

Isoc 4 condemned the attack, which injured innocent civilians.

On the same morning in Songkhla, explosions near utility poles were reported at three locations at around 7am. There were no injuries.

The first location was near a pole in tambon Phang La, Sadao district, where two explosions occurred at the same site, about 200 metres from a power plant.

The second was in tambon Na Thap, Chana district, where an explosion caused a pole to fall and obstruct traffic. The third was between Na Mom and Chana districts.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers were working to secure and clear the scenes, while relevant authorities investigated the incidents. 

On Tuesday night in Yala, over 20 armed suspects reportedly launched a series of arson and security attacks around 9pm across the province, with eight sites targeted.

The attackers stormed the Yala Municipality Office in Muang distrct, holding a security guard and rescue workers hostage. They set fire to four government vehicles and damaged parts of the building.

Other incidents in Muang and Yaha districts included burning rubber tires on public roads, destroying CCTV cameras and targeting cellular and telecommunication towers.

A fire truck belonging to the Yala Municipality Office sustains fire damage.