Thai PM vows offensive as bombs rattle south

A Thai employee tries to extinguish fire following a bomb blast in the parking area of a provincial government building in Thailand's violence raged southern Yala province yesterday. Two bombs went off at two different governments building in Yala after a night of deadly gun battles, as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra insists security forces are making gains in their fight against Islamic dissidents.. PHOTO: AFP

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who had just returned from the strife-torn region, told reporters he was happy with the government response to the latest unrest and vowed further crackdowns.

"Absolutely, I am satisfied with the incidents last night," Thaksin said. "Many were arrested. We have to continue our work. Next time it's our turn to be more offensive."

Two bombs rocked Yala province early Tuesday, slightly wounding a government official. The explosives, which were placed under cars, hit a Yala provincial education office and a car park behind a provincial hall.

Later Tuesday a 40-year-old Muslim, Maromlee Salae, was shot dead by suspected militants in Patae village of Yala province, police added.

Those attacks came after 14 coordinated attacks overnight in Yala left five people dead, including two militants, in Yala and Pattani provinces.

One of the slain militants, Asumi Jarong, was wanted in connection with the unrest, and had a one million baht (243,000 dollar) bounty on his head, southern army commander Lieutenant General Kwanchart Klaharn told reporters.

Seventeen people had been arrested in connection with the overnight raids, he added.

Also during the night, the managing director of the local Thongtin Thai newspaper was shot dead in Narathiwat province, police said.

Abdulloh Mama, 37, was shot five times in the town of Sungai Kolok by gunmen who had followed him in a pick-up truck. He was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.

"Police have established two possible motives for the killing. Either it was a personal conflict or part of the unrest," police Colonel Somsak Rommayanon said.

The attacks came just hours after Thaksin left the region.