Bomb attacks kill 13, injure more 350 in South Thailand (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Published time: March 31, 2012 07:52
Edited time: April 01, 2012 20:30
Thai rescue workers help an injured man after a car bomb blast in Thailand's southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
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Three bomb blasts have struck the southern town of Yala, killing thirteen people and wounding dozens more, local officials say.

The first two bombs are thought to have been hidden inside motorcycles, while the third was planted in a nearby car.

They detonated only minutes apart, damaging vehicles and setting the surrounding shops and buildings on fire.

The public health ministry said 10 people were in critical condition with severe burns.

Yala city is the main commercial hub in the country's south. 

Thailand’s restive South is plagued by regular terrorist attacks and violence from Muslim extremist insurgent groups operating in the region.


Thai bomb squad members inspect the wreckage of a car at the scene of a car bomb blast in Thailand′s southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
Thai bomb squad members inspect the wreckage of a car at the scene of a car bomb blast in Thailand's southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
Thai rescue workers take care on an injured man on the back of a pick up truck at the site of a car bomb blast in Thailand′s southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
Thai rescue workers take care on an injured man on the back of a pick up truck at the site of a car bomb blast in Thailand's southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
A Thai army soldier in civilian clothes (C-R) helps an injured man away from a car bomb blast in Thailand′s southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
A Thai army soldier in civilian clothes (C-R) helps an injured man away from a car bomb blast in Thailand's southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
Thai rescue workers help an injured fireman at the scene of a car bomb blast in Thailand′s southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
Thai rescue workers help an injured fireman at the scene of a car bomb blast in Thailand's southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
A Thai rescue worker looks for injured people at the site of a car bomb blast in Thailand′s southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)
A Thai rescue worker looks for injured people at the site of a car bomb blast in Thailand's southern restive province of Yala on March 31, 2012. (AFP Photo / Muhhamad Sabri)

­Tough times for southern Thailand: hotel fire in same province kills 4, injures over 300

­Meanwhile, at least four people died and more than 300 were injured in a hotel fire in the same province. The Lee Gardens hotel, located in southern Thailand’s biggest city Hat Yai, went up in flames in the middle of the night – reportedly following a gas tank explosion. The province's governor said 336 people were hospitalized, mostly with smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning, and many others were seriously wounded.

Early reports said the fire might have been caused by a gas main explosion in the compound or from an insurgent attack, while security officials have yet to determine whether the incident was linked to the Yala bombings which occurred on the same day.


Comments (11)

Anonymous user 29.03.2013 16:43

Loy

0

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Don 31.03.2012 22:27

While it is true that Thailand is a buddhist and very nationalist country, I believe social strain is a reality for most people there, and things are not getting better at this level, even if Thailand has grown richer since some decades.

But many muslim minorities have become more radical. Now you can hear the muezzin calling for the prayer many times a day in  some places in Thailand, and many muslim people wear those clothes like in muslim countries! It seems things were different in the 1980s, buddhist and muslim thais lived together in the same thai culture.

Fact is many muslim population have been infiltrated or endoctrinated by radical salafist-like movements, and weren't these mostly funded by Saudis some times ago? And I am just asking this question aren't the Saudis US best friends?? So why doesn't the USA do something about that?

Do the USA and friends benefit from this extremism and terrorism, like they did in Afghanistan against the Russians? Creating chaos to more easily control foreign countries?

Or do the Saudis control the US congress, like Israel and AIPAC do????

+5

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Jeremy (unregistered) 31.03.2012 21:13

Norwegen wrote in #6
How can people actually have so much faith in these conspiracy theories that all bad things are done by the US, CIA and Israel? What evidence do you people have that it was done by the CIA? Other then the fact that you just want to believe that it was the US, to make your beloved Russia look better then it actually does. People who believe in Conspiracies are narrow minded, ignorant, confused and people who simply haven't found their place in society. You simply want to believe something that isn't real. 
- ----Don't sweat it brother, it just makes them feel better. It is silly though, do you all really believe that every evil action is dictated by the US in someway? Really?

+4

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