Published on July 16, 2005

Seven suspects detained in connection with Thursday’s coordinated raid on city; another blast outside hospital /As many as 60 attackers, most of them young people, are believed to have taken part in the synchronised attacks in Yala on Thursday night.

The Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command announced yesterday that seven suspects had already been detained for their alleged involvement in the violence, which killed two police officers and injured 17 people.

Between 7.10pm and 8.15pm on Thursday, Yala’s Muang district was a chaotic scene of power blackouts, five explosions, four arson attacks and several other incidents including the discovery of fake bombs, armed insurgents waylaying police and road spikes being scattered about to impede pursuit.

An informed source said last night that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was planning to visit Yala. However, his schedule would not be disclosed due to security concerns. “But it is likely he will visit injured victims,” the source added.

One of the suspected insurgents, Sakareeya Tohheng, was injured in a shootout with police during the Yala attack.

Provincial Police Region 9 commissioner Adul Saengsingkaew said yesterday that Sakareeya had given useful information to the authorities, who were now in pursuit of the instigators of the violence.

The alleged instigators were mostly young people who were “taught to cherish their goals” and clearly assigned to carry out the attacks, police said.

Documents prepared by Special Branch police for a special meeting of Cabinet yesterday said Thursday’s synchronised attacks were clearly well-prepared.

“The instigators have the potential to strike again,” they warned.

The documents claimed the instigators held a meeting on June 28 in Malaysia’s northernmost state of Kelantan, where they planned attacks in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces for Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday.

The documents named the insurgents in charge. Masae Useng and Abroseh Parehruepoh were in charge of operations in Narathiwat. Abdulkarim Kalupang, Doromae Lohmae and Isma-ae Royalong were in charge of Yala and Arduenan Mama and Nororting Binbueraheng were in charge of Pattani.

The documents also identified Masae Useng and Sapae-ing Bazor as key masterminds.

“Many students in Pattani’s Thung Yang Daeng district stopped going to their classes from July 1,” the documents added.

The documents went on to say that the Pattani United Liberation Organisation (PULO) and “BRN Coordinate” were active in Thung Yang Daeng district.

They said a man named “Lieutenant Kamal,” who had links with Osama Bin Ladin’s al Qaeda, was also involved in the violence in Thailand’s deep South.

“To demoralise people and make them afraid of giving co-operation to the authorities, a group of teenagers has been hired to kill teachers, and especially school directors,” the special branch documents said. “[The teenagers] can claim Bt10,000 for each victim’s life.”

The documents also recommended stepping up security at major government agencies in Bangkok and any large gatherings.

Meanwhile, two teachers were shot dead yesterday morning in Narathiwat’s Sungai Padi district. The victims were identified as Wongsa Pitakwong, 40, and Mana sae Poo, 52.

Witnesses said a gunman riding pillion on a motorcycle used an assault rifle to open fire on a pickup in which the victims were riding on their way to Baan Poh Jeh Teng School. When the driver lost control and the pickup swerved into the roadside, the gunman got off his motorcycle and fired more bullets into his helpless victims at point-blank range.

In Yala, a bomb exploded at a restaurant, injuring four people. The bomb was hidden in a rubbish bin and was detonated by a cell phone.

Following the explosion, parents rushed to pick up children from a school just 800 metres away from the restaurant.

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